Jamie Oliver's New Show? - Page 6

[Laedi]

Originally Posted by Grace and Granola

However, I think he is doing an amazing job. He's got the right idea. He wants the kids eating real food. Let's just start there. I mean when the schools are counting french fries as vegetables...I think JO is doing a pretty darned good job with a small portion of pasta with seven vegetables and a salad. He's not a doctor, he's just a good guy trying to get good people to eat real food.

Yes, that.

[Adamsmama]

Originally Posted by Violet2

I didn't get to watch the entire episode tonight BUT did JO get the heavy set girl any medical care? She likely has a hormonal issue that needs to be assessed.

This is my real concern with this show. Healthy food is not enough. 10-20% of women have PCOS and that means insulin resistance which eventually means diabetes. High carb, low fat (i.e. pasta with veggies as JO fed that prediabetic kid) will slowly kill women with PCOS-- I know. I followed all the 'expert advice' and am now paying for it.

I find it so irresponsible that JO and our society pretend it is simply about cutting out fat and junk when it's not.

And that poor girl saying she's tried every diet and has no 'motivation'. So she's believing what society tells her; that it's her fault when in reality it is science that has failed her. Prevailing nutritional science and advice is a slow death for quite a large segment of our population.

I feel so bad for that poor girl. I hope JO takes her to the doctor too!!!!! She needs more than just a diet.

V

Also, hypothyroidism can cause someone to gain weight and not loose weight because they need medicine to help their thyroid. I agree with all of this ... however, for many people they are unhealthy because of the food they, eat. I do agree, if there is a weight problem going on they probably need a complete physical to check for other things. My husband is an example of someone who became "obese" based on BMI, because of the food he was eating (junk -- too much sugar, really) and when he started excersizing and cut out all of the junk food and ate a moderate protein, normal level of carbs, moderate level of fats -- he lost weight. He lost 75lbs last year (took him from June to October) ... it just came off him so quickly because of the changes he made. Now he is a healthy weight.

[Violet2]

Originally Posted by Adamsmama

Also, hypothyroidism can cause someone to gain weight and not loose weight because they need medicine to help their thyroid. I agree with all of this ... however, for many people they are unhealthy because of the food they, eat. I do agree, if there is a weight problem going on they probably need a complete physical to check for other things. My husband is an example of someone who became "obese" based on BMI, because of the food he was eating (junk -- too much sugar, really) and when he started excersizing and cut out all of the junk food and ate a moderate protein, normal level of carbs, moderate level of fats -- he lost weight. He lost 75lbs last year (took him from June to October) ... it just came off him so quickly because of the changes he made. Now he is a healthy weight.

Agreed. My point is we know about those people. We are ignoring a relatively decent segment of our population and they are being under served. It's not like this information is a secret but the fat bias in our society persists in believing it's all about personal responsibility. Regardless of JO's intent, his food will kill that poor girl just as easily as junk food if she has an underlying hormonal issue.

V

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by Violet2

Agreed. My point is we know about those people. We are ignoring a relatively decent segment of our population and they are being under served. It's not like this information is a secret but the fat bias in our society persists in believing it's all about personal responsibility. Regardless of JO's intent, his food will kill that poor girl just as easily as junk food if she has an underlying hormonal issue.

V

Based on what she said in front of the people at the restaurant, she is seeing a dr. Or at least has seen one very recently. She said something about recently being told by her dr that she had spots on her liver. Doesn't finding spots on an internal organ suggest some fairly major testing? I would hope that this dr also checked thyroid levels.

Jamie can't be all things to all people and I've never heard him claim that eating the way he's promoting will cure everything But you gotta start somewhere and eating healthy, real food is a pretty good place to start for the majority of people.

[jessjgh1]

Originally Posted by KristyDi

Based on what she said in front of the people at the restaurant, she is seeing a dr. Or at least has seen one very recently. She said something about recently being told by her dr that she had spots on her liver. Doesn't finding spots on an internal organ suggest some fairly major testing? I would hope that this dr also checked thyroid level

I just watched it last night and was thinking the same thing. She is under the care of a doctor.
I was practically sobbing during the kids speeches, especially hers.

Jessica

[MadiMamacita]

loving this show. makes me want to get all fired up about the USDA's moronic guidelines!

[caiesmommy]

Im watching it online and it's amazing! We don't have a school cafe in elementry schools, just high. But I do remember the lunches available in highschool, and they we're disgusting! Kids living off of poutine(fries with gravy and melted cheese). As a vegtarian in highschool, my choice was straight french fries or peperoni pizza take off the meat...blah. I would have LOVED a chinese 7 vegetable noodle dish! oh my I still would

[FunkSoulMommy]

Sorry for the booklength rant

Ok so admittedly I haven't read the whole thread I totally wanted to chime in a little bit.

I am from Huntington & have worked in a a cabell county school, although I now live across the river in KY.

While I PERSONALLY have experience with one of the "resistant to change" lunch ladies & can agree that yes she is stubborn & very much like this in real life, I also have to say that I hate to see people talking about how they don't understand how the cooks can fix these "foods" for kids...

Unfortunately there are FEDERAL guidelines that greatly restrict what schools and any program that operates out of them can serve... I was shocked when I was responsible for creating the menus for an after school program that took place in a large cabell co school. AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT IT!!!!! It was even worse during the summer when I had to plan breakfast, lunch, and snack for the summer camp outreach program and follow the guidelines the schools use.

I actually used half of my paycheck supplementing the kids snacks because I was so upset... this is NOT something that someone should be ask to do.

These programs, like schools have strict guidelines as to what has to be served every day... for example for just a snack every day I had to provide the children with 2 "breads", and then pick 2 of the others, a protein, and a dairy, and fruit or juice.

The funding for this program BARELY covered even purchasing the bare necessities.... I couldn't imagine having to buy for hundreds!!! Often just buying the milk ate up 1/2 of my budget no matter how much I looked for deals. What this meant is I had to pick which of the requirements meant the most to me & focus my money there instead.

I chose to try and get better dairy and fresh fruit & to be honest my "breads" or proteins often suffered and were things I certainly would not feed my son.

But once again, this is not something I could change...

I think this area definitely needs some help... a lot of people here are quite overweight and there are very few options for purchasing healthy high quality foods... But on a side note, I would also like to state ( just in case it hasn't been mentioned) that the statistics this research study that listed H-ton as the most unhealthy is GROSSLY unfair. Huntington sits on the edge of KY & OH as well and has two of the major hospitals for the whole tri-state area. Marshall University/ Cabell Huntington Hospital & St Mary's Hospital offer many services that hospitals nearby just cannot afford to provide their patients... what does this mean? It means we get everyone else's illnesses as well as our own... & when you combine 3 states worth of unhealthy people in one small area, yes it does look like we are all dying at 45 from heart problems and diabetes.

For example my partner is an EMT... on days when she works in a rural station for her company it is not unusual for her to transport a patient 3+ hours to the nearest hospital that can handle an issue.

To me the cause of the skewed stats is just as scary as the menus...

But my main point really is, instead of being so hard and shocked at the local people who have NO SAY whatsoever about what goes on, we need to be reacting in a more appropriate way and telling our state and federal governments that THEY need to correct the requirements that they are putting on those who actually have to plan the meals and make do with the funding allotted for this task.

I know that Jamie is doing this along with his in school work, I just hope everyone else doesn't overlook this VERY important step.

[Grace and Granola]

I don't think anyone on this thread has made any reference about how unhealthy Huntington is compared to anywhere else in the us. I think everyone realizes that this is a national problem and that Huntington was just a good place to start this "revolution."

Also, I wish you would read this thread, because it seems like you might be taking this more personally since you have been directly involved in the school system. I do not recall anyone laying the blame on the lunch ladies. Everyone is disappointed with the fact that a. They seem to be blind to the fact that the foods are unhealthy and b. one lady in particular is unwilling to change and work to better the menus. I think people would feel very different if there was a lunch lady (like you) saying, Thank goodness! I've been hoping for something like this to happen!

Thank you for sharing your inside information! It is interesting to hear about what goes on behind the scenes.

[_ktg_]

I would also recommend for everyone to watch Jamie's TED talk too. Its referenced up thread as it gives a very good platform as to the purpose of his work in changing the mindframe of the U.S. and U.K. with regards to food.

I like it so far, but I'm taking this show with a grain of salt...after all its TV and subjected to editing and maximizing sound bites to up the "WOW" factor

[MadiMamacita]

@ FunkSoulMommy- great local perspective- thanks!
personally, I am more frustrated with the attitude of "we like what we eat and you can't make me eat lettuce" than with people who are just implementimng regulations.

I am totally disgusted with the USDA regulations. you're right, you can't shoot the messenger. Its not the lunch lady's fault that this is what they serve.. she's just doing her job. the revolution needs to come from higher up in the chain.

[ezcc]

Also love this show, I've long been a Jamie Oliver fan and find the show really eye opening and engaging. One thing I like is that the show doesn't really take any cheap shots at W.V. In general, the people are very representative of the country as a whole, and Jamie treats everyone with a lot of respect. And those kids last night were wonderful, I loved the scenes of them eating around the campfire-they just seem like such real kids- not self conscious or fake in any way. Huntington also looks just beautiful, makes me want to visit!

[FunkSoulMommy]

Originally Posted by Grace and Granola

I don't think anyone on this thread has made any reference about how unhealthy Huntington is compared to anywhere else in the us. I think everyone realizes that this is a national problem and that Huntington was just a good place to start this "revolution."

Thank you for sharing your inside information! It is interesting to hear about what goes on behind the scenes.

I had a big huge response typed out but the spell check thing ate it... oh well....

I know that people here havent necessarily said that about the area, but this is something you have to realise the show is promoting. I am totally on board with how much america as a whole needs this food revolution, but I am not 100 percent sure this is how it should have been gone about.

I am sorry if I came across as saying you all were judging the lunchladies in particular, but I do feel on his show J.O. definitely does take the approach of "why are they serving this slop, how can they live with themselves." I just see so many people getting caught up in that aspect and forgetting that unless they are willing to work on the root of the problem, nothing will ever change.

With the way the show is providing its info it is easy to see this as an "oh those people don't represent what is going on in my neighborhood, and they are too ignorent to even care that they are killing themselves" where as if the show was maybe a little more wide spread in showing that this happens EVERYWHERE, even in larger cities and those areas typically thought of as more wealthy then it would be able to elivate itself from just another "poor hillbillies" show to something TRULY educational. Seeing people not knowing veggies should not be something put in for comic relief... It is SAD, deffinately not funny, but that is how the show chooses to feature it.

I am not personally a lunch lady, my degree is in psych and I was a director of an Afterschool Program that was located in Cabell Co Schools... As the director it was my responsibility to make menues for my employees to use to make sure that they were meeting state & fed guidelines... Thats where the experience came from....

I completely agree that what is shown is horrendous & I hate seeing people from here being so closed minded to new ideas, but one of the biggest reasons people here remain so closed off & ignorent is because they no longer trust "outsiders" because of exactly what this show is doing as well...

Just like every other show or special that features Appalachian culture, they are finding the worst possible people to feature on the show... You cant find the barefoot & pregnant in a gradeschool, so you search untill you find kids who don't know what vegetables are...

I just hope that the intelligent mommas on here don't fall into the trap and remember that you can find extreme examples of ignorence in every group...
We don't all fit the stereotypes about "Natural Living" families, so please just keep in mind that the the show is not exactly a fair representation of the area & I wish they had been a little more broad in their focus.

[Laedi]

Personally, I think it's pretty nieve to think that what is shown on the show is not representative to what is going on in America.

I also believe that those of us who support Jamie Oliver realize that the government standards are a load of BS. He is (trying) to work within the guidelines of the "rules".

To be honest, it really rubs me the wrong way that people are criticizing him for doing something that no one else wants to do. I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate.

One classroom of children that cannot identify vegetables is one too many. Even if it was the exception to the rule (which it is not) he has provided a forum for them to gain this knowledge. Again, I don't see anyone else giving any attempts.

This is about the kids. This is about the disgusting food that our children are eating in schools. I'm homeschooling mine so maybe I just shouldn't care at all - but I do. Everything I believe in and stand for has to do with the future. For our children and our children's children. We are slaughtering our youth. Period.

So maybe JO isn't "doing it right" Maybe he isn't using the proper diet that agrees with our personal eating habits - but it is something. He's not low carb, he's not vegetarian, he's not vegan, he's not this or that. But at this point something is a whole heck of a lot better than nothing. And nothing has been the popular route for far too long.

[LavenderMae]

I thought they picked this town because it is a good representation of what's going on in many (most) school lunchrooms in America.

[monkeybars]

I don't want to get off topic, but as someone who grew up far from Huntington I absolutely do not feel this show is focusing on that particular city and ridiculing it. It really is exposing our poor eating habits as a nation, and I think it is very clear the standards they are enforcing are sadly federal guidelines.

It's been a long time since I was in high school, but the stuff being served today doesn't look that different from the crap we were served. Anyone remember when Reagan tried to reclassify ketchup as a vegetable? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup_as_a_vegetable
That was 30 years ago and our eating habits just keep spiraling downward. In the past I have not been a Jamie Oliver fan, but I do think what he is doing is admirable and hope he is successful. It may be just a stupid tv show, but lots of people pay attention and maybe enough people will be outraged enough to make some changes. Most people don't make their voices heard politically, but they sure don't mind calling to vote on American Idol, etc.

[JamieCatheryn]

Thanks for reminding me of this, I saw the first episode on Hulu and didn't know there were 2 more up. Good for him for trying to make a difference, and getting the funding and publicity of ABC to help get it started.

[SophieAnn]

Originally Posted by caiesmommy

Im watching it online and it's amazing! We don't have a school cafe in elementry schools, just high. But I do remember the lunches available in highschool, and they we're disgusting! Kids living off of poutine(fries with gravy and melted cheese). As a vegtarian in highschool, my choice was straight french fries or peperoni pizza take off the meat...blah. I would have LOVED a chinese 7 vegetable noodle dish! oh my I still would

Same here, no food served at school until highschool, and our highschool cafeteria served crap, but there were soups, salads and sandwiches available too.

BUT.... I brought a lunch from home. It was much more affordable than buying things in the cafeteria ($2ish for fries, $3.50 for poutine, $2ish for a salad...) and my mom packed my lunch just like she had every day since kindergarten.

Don't kids in the US have the option of bringing a lunch from home?

Screw their stupid guidelines and the food they serve - don't you have the option to NOT BUY IT? Send your kids with a lunch from home?

[MadiMamacita]

Originally Posted by FunkSoulMommy

Just like every other show or special that features Appalachian culture, they are finding the worst possible people to feature on the show... You cant find the barefoot & pregnant in a gradeschool, so you search untill you find kids who don't know what vegetables are...

it feels like you are sensitive to that type of portrayal in the media, so i just wanted to let you know that i don't see that at all in this show. it really feels like Anywhere, USA.

And I don't feel like they are showing the worst possible people- so far all the kids- the highschool kids, the 12 year old jamie is teaching to cook (justin?) have been great and I dont feel like any of them are Appalachain stereotypes. The teacher who stepped it up to teach the kids about veggies, the mom who is really trying to change her family's eating habits.. they all seem like positive people.

[Grace and Granola]

Originally Posted by MadiMamacita

it feels like you are sensitive to that type of portrayal in the media, so i just wanted to let you know that i don't see that at all in this show. it really feels like Anywhere, USA.

And I don't feel like they are showing the worst possible people- so far all the kids- the highschool kids, the 12 year old jamie is teaching to cook (justin?) have been great and I dont feel like any of them are Appalachain stereotypes. The teacher who stepped it up to teach the kids about veggies, the mom who is really trying to change her family's eating habits.. they all seem like positive people.

I completely agree.

Maybe this show will get those wealthy suburbanites to think, "Not in MY school!" And when they go to check they will realize, YES, in their schools too.

Plus, Jamie was super excited that a SENATOR was coming, so yes, he is interested in changing it at the root.