It is no secret that America has a strange relationship with food and weight. The magazines at the supermarket checkout advertise the latest “miracle diets” behind pictures of abnormally skinny women (seriously their heads are larger than their waists). Despite the fact that we seem to worship thinness, chances are the person in front of or behind you in line is overweight.
The U.S. is currently the world’s second fattest country, behind Mexico, with 37.5 percent of Americans reported as obese. Eight out of 10 of the heaviest states are located in the South, the only place where you can choose between fried Twinkies or a fried Snickers bar. For the sixth year in a row, Mississippi weighs in as the heaviest state in the nation, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Many of the leading causes of preventable death, such as heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes, are related to obesity. In addition to the health risks there is an economic cost to being overweight. Obesity-related conditions account for 10 percent of health care costs in America. The University of Mississippi Medical Center claims that an obese individual will accrue 40 percent more health care costs than a similar non-obese person.
The statistics can be a bit depressing, but one chef has introduced a novel and simple solution. Jamie Oliver, famous for his BBC cooking show “The Naked Chef,” recommends that Americans can lose weight by learning to cook. Now, before we get all up in arms over a Brit telling us Americans how to cook, we may want to give this guy a chance.
Oliver, who’s “Food Revolution” initiative has gained massive celebrity support, argues that every person should know how to cook at least 10 healthy recipes. “We’re turning food into the enemy,” Oliver said. “Something to be afraid of.”
Oliver’s initiative is three-fold. In order to change the way we eat, he argues that we have to take the fight into our kitchens, into our schools and onto Main Street. Oliver knows that poor children, especially, do not get the nutrition they need because their parents do not know how to cook and because it is cheaper and easier for moms to buy microwavable dinners and fast food. The former chef also places blame on America’s school cafeterias which he claims “endorse fast food” by not allowing cutlery. Finally, Oliver accuses America’s superstores, such as Walmart, of not providing consumers with healthy alternatives.
While I agree with the need for a food revolution in this country, I hold back from placing the blame on stores like Walmart. As a college student with financial and time restraints I shop at Walmart once a week. While Walmart certainly has a negative effect on mom and pop shops it is also almost certainly a blessing for single moms and dads.
I haven’t quite fulfilled Oliver’s prescription of 10 recipes (do Ramen noodles count?), but I do cook on a regular basis and consider myself a pretty healthy eater (what about PB&J?). I find everything I need for a balanced diet (okay, we’re talking on college terms here) within Wally-World’s never-ending aisles.
The issue is knowledge and education.
If people know how to cook healthy meals, as Oliver promotes, they will buy healthier options and eventually Walmart and other megastores will begin to provide more and better alternatives at “always low prices.”
