Jamie Oliver – Beat Obesity By Teaching Children About Food

Jamie Oliver introduces himself as a man that has worked tirelessly to help save lives in his own way. Watch the full video below.

I am not a doctor, I am a chef

He uses information and education to spread the word and believes that food has the power to improve health and overcome the current reality that is the obesity epidemic.

Because of the changes to the way we eat children born today have an average life expectancy of 10 years younger than their parent. 2 out of 3 people in America are now obese, not just overweight, but actually clinically obese.

The last 4 generations of adults have blessed our children with a shorter lifespan than our parents.

Diet related diseases are the biggest killers in the USA today – cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Obesity now costs Americans more per year than smoking related illnesses. 10% of healthcare bills are spent on treat obesity related disease, that is $150 billion a year. In ten years it is set to increase to $300 billion a year. The problem is strangling the economy.

Children Today are Not Taught to Cook at Home

Jamie says that they biggest problem is that children do not learn to cook now, neither from their schools or parents. It is 3 generations since most parents cooked meals at home and taught children to cook.

What went wrong? Supermarkets and fast food are the biggest problem. Portion size is another problem, portions are just too big. Food is literally killing us.

School Has Not Evolved To Cope With the Health Catastrophes of America

Children eat school food 180 days a year, often 2 meals a day (plus the junk food snacks).

System is run by accountants and there is a lack of food experts. School food is processed foods, Wieners, pizzas and burgers. Food is full of additives and junk in schools. Most children today do not even know what real food looks like, many cannot recognise a potato, tomato or pear. They just do not know what real food is.

Even the most basic health food for children, fresh milk, has been soiled by the food corporations. Kids no longer get fresh milk in schools, on offer is just flavored milk full of sugar. Why? Because the manufacturers realise that adding sugar sells more milk. Milk is no longer a healthy drink.

Food Education Must Be At The Heard of the Food Industry

The only way to overcome the addiction we have to sugar, salt and fat is for the government to work with the food industry to change what is put into fast food and processed food.

Teach Kids Life Skills

Jamie wants every child to be able to cook 10 healthy meals that will save their lives by the time they leave school. Also he wants schools to insist that children use cutlery, knives and forks, when eating. Children are growing up without learning how to eat food with a knife and fork. The message is simple – eat food with your hands. This is how fast food is consumed, not how real food is eaten.

Corporate Canteens

Jamie also wants businesses to improve staff canteens so that adults across the country will learn what good food tastes like. Then they can pass this on to their children also and hopefully in time healthy cooking will make it back into people’s homes.

Jamie Oliver’s Wish

“I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”

Watch Jamie’s TED Speech Here:

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