Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Reality series ‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution’ aims to anger views over the food system
The Associated Press

Friday March 26th
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2010/03/26/2010-03-26_reality_series_jamie_olivers_food_revolution_aims_to_anger_viewers_over_the_food.html


Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver has taken on the challenge of reforming America’s school lunch menus. By hosting an ABC reality series he hopes to open the country’s eyes to the state of the American food system and channel that anger towards change. The series is based off of a similar show he had done in England that did end in restructuring the British school lunch system. The setting of the show is Huntington, West Virginia. Based on an Associated Press Story in 2008, Huntington, was labeled as the “nation’s unhealthiest city” using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. It recognized that close to half of the adults were obese and the area led in many other illnesses. Mr. Oliver also plans on taking this change further to the White House with an online petition for healthier food choices in the nation’s schools.

Despite the seriousness of the obesity epidemic, the people of Huntington, West Virginia, were not very receptive to the proposed changes in the early episodes. Mr. Oliver described the reception to change during the early months was tough. Even while on a radio airing DJ Rod Willis commented, “We don’t want to sit around and eat lettuce all day. You come to town and say you’re going to change our menus and all that. I just don’t think you should come in here and tell us what to do.”

A major struggle in the series is replacing processed foods in the school lunch menus with fresh produce. This would also include new standards for vending machine items. State officials worry about the additional food and labor costs of providing fresh foods for lunches. Mr. Oliver debates that eating healthy is worth it and the time is now for a food revolution in the United States.

The show airs on ABC on Friday at 9pm until April 23rd.