Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Visits the USA's Fattest City; Huntington West Virginia

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution features British chef Jamie Oliver trying to take a bite out of obesity. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution first and second episodes take on school officials and food services in Huntington, West Virginia. Why Huntington, West Virginia? Because Huntington, WV has the distinction of being the city in the United States with the highest obesity rate, dubbed obliquely, 'US Fattest City'.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has important lessons to teach Americans, not only about weight management, health and nutrition, but also about parenting and education in general. Jamie Oliver isn't the first television personality to take on childhood and family obesity. Morgan Spurlock's 2004 Oscar-winning documentary Supersize Me shone a spotlight on the glaring health issues posed by mass consumption of fast food and junk food, namely at McDonald's. Spurlock also keyed in to nutritional inadequacies at local schools.

Shaquille O'Neal started a reality TV fitness and nutrition show called Shaq's Big Challenge in which Shaq set up a program to help overweight and obese children lose weight and improve nutrition. Shaq's Big Challenge featured a program to improve school lunches by bringing in a chef to prepare healthier lunches. Actually, I rate the lunch Shaq's chef prepared (grilled chicken breast, rice and broccoli) as healthier than Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution which consisted of a beef fajitas, cole slaw and orange wedge. Shaq faced big opposition for school officials over the cost of his healthier meals. School officials noted that many kids threw away some of the food.

Whether Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution can overcome the school system juggernaut and actually get healthier menu options will be interesting. I was very pleased to see that Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution focused on teaching kids other healthy eating habits besides just choosing nutritional foods. Jamie Oliver requested that students be given knives and forks and taught to utilize the tools. Many schools do not issue utensils and rely on 'hand-held' foods like tacos, pizza and burritos. Not only is Jamie Oliver striving to improve table manners, he is helping children to learn to eat slowly, chew their food carefully and not gulp food. These healthy eating habits help improve digestion and prevent overeating.

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