Something for Jamie Oliver to Chew On

While doing my laundry this evening I watched the first two episodes of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. (The first episode can be seen online here).

The program follows the acclaimed British chef to Huntington, West Virginia, a town named the unhealthiest in America. He wants to change the diets of Huntington residents but they are wary of his motives and methods and I must say I can't blame them. Oliver had a particularly contentious interview with local radio talk show host Rod Willis. "I really take issue with a guy coming into town and telling us how we should conduct our lives," said Willis.

Oliver comes off as a patronizing, condescending twit who thinks he's better than everyone else. He spends much of his time in a school cafeteria and dismisses the female cafeteria workers as little more than "lunch ladies". But the "lunch ladies" know a phony when they see one and he gets served. But even worse is his sarcastic attitude around children.

Look, I understand wanting children to have a healthy, balanced diet. But the surest way to get children not to eat a healthy, balanced diet is to either tell them to eat something because it is good for them or to not eat something because it is bad for them. If Jamie Oliver genuinely wants the children of Huntington to eat healthier then he needs to convey the joy of healthy eating. Dump trucks full of fat make for a memorable visual but don't satiate the appetite. Most importantly, the food has to taste good.