Death by Donuts

Jamie Oliver's eye-opening TED talk, Teach Every Child About Food, describes the reality of American's poor health and its effect on younger generations. He effectively opened up his talk with a startling statistic that in the time of his presentation, four American's would die from diet related causes. Jamie Oliver relays that more than half of American's are obese and the children of the next generation will live ten years shorter than their parents. He shocks the audience with facts that leave a lasting impression. I agree with his beliefs that food has power in people's lives and therefore children must be educated at young ages to make nutritional decisions. I notice a common underlying theme in solutions to problems society faces. The education of children will shape future generations because they are full of potential and willing to learn. Regardless, in this case, if children had a better understanding of the disadvantages of fatty, sugary foods they would be more likely to make better choices. Jamie introduced Justin, a 12-year-old boy, who weighs 350 pounds and another young girl who held her father in her arms as he died from obesity. The depressing stories show diet related deaths affecting people’s lives and the lives of their loved ones. Although America is one of the most unhealthy countries, the obesity issue is effecting the world on a grand scale. I thought that Jamie made an interesting point by recognizing the fact that as humans we worry about controlling terrorism and homicide, but in reality heart attacks are the number one cause of death by far. That sends such a strong message that people are making poor personal choices and not realizing their colossal effects. After laying a strong foundation with interesting facts, Jamie explains to the audience that a food revolution is necessary for the benefit of the next generation and the country. I completely agree, but it is a hard price to pay. Literally. To improve the quality of food at schools, Jamie estimates an increase of $6,500 to the budget. Money that especially at a time like this, schools cannot afford. However, with increased awareness, small improvements can be made. From my own experience, packing a lunch from home can be healthier, contain fewer calories, and cost much less in the long run! Simple choices like skipping the hot lunch line and fueling up with a turkey sandwich on wheat bread from home will go along way. Jamie makes an extremely valid point, the main problem is the lack of knowledge people have. In day-to-day life, people are bombarded by advertisements of fast food and misleading labeling. Even when people see a "Low-Fat!" product, it can still be packed with sugar and salt. Restaurants serve processed food in large portions packed with additives and preservatives. I see this as a recipe for disaster. I also agree with Jamie's next point, although Americans are faced with a giant problem, obesity is preventable and in the hands of the individual. Changes must occur in the giant chains, at schools and at home. By educating children about nutrition, funding schools to serve fresh, healthy food and spreading the word about eating right on a budget, people can make REAL changes and reverse the trend of increasing obesity rates. You are what you eat!