It’s no secret most Americans do not follow a healthy diet. Our daily meals typically consist of processed, pre-packaged, calorie-loaded food, which we all know can have serious effects on our health.
According to the 2010 Center for Disease Control report on obesity, 68 percent of Americans are overweight and over 33 percent are considered obese. Childhood obesity is also growing at an alarming rate, and it is predicted this new generation of children will be the first to die at a younger age than their parents due to obesity-related complications.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has teamed with Ryan Seacrest to produce a show on ABC that will try to change those statistics. It is called
“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” and it airs on Friday nights.
What Oliver does on the show is something that is much needed in America today. He teaches people about what is really in the food they consume and gives them healthy alternatives to their typical poor diets.
“I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food,” Oliver said on his website. “Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It’s time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!”
Although it sounds simple to just make healthier choices in eating habits, it is not as easy as it seems.
Oliver’s show begins its healthy eating revolution in Huntington, West Virginia. That city is said to be the most unhealthy city in the U. S.
Oliver had to try and convince people there that the amount of processed food that kids were being served at school can actually be dangerous for them. The response he received was that the food was fine since it met federal guidelines and that is the way it is at schools across the U. S.
That example shows that people are not always willing to change their habits, regardless of the long-term effects. They can see how the poor meal choices are harming the country as a whole, but still do not make an attempt to give up the sugar and preservative-filled foods they enjoy. This makes eating healthy really difficult, especially for children.
The premier episode of Oliver’s show demonstrates when children are given the choice between high-calorie meals and those that have fewer calories and are prepared with fresh ingredients, they opt for the pizza fried in grease over the chicken and salad. This proves that something needs to be changed in the eating habits of children, because once an unhealthy lifestyle is established, it can be very hard to change it.
Jamie Oliver is providing a wake-up call to the entire country. He has a petition on his website that anyone can sign to show their support on the issue of demanding better quality and healthier food options. More than 50,000 people have signed the petition so far.
To sign up and support Oliver’s food revolution, visit www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition. Americans do not have to accept unhealthy food options, especially in schools. By signing the petition, there is now the chance to take a step toward doing something about that.
Jenny Prokop, Assistant Opinions Editor
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