Revolutionary, indeed.

I have been completely taken in by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. When I first heard of this show, I turned up my nose. After all, haven't we been sucked into watching something like this before? From game shows where money is the motivator to even the forty-five second commercials concerning the glorious (and unrealistic) evolutions of Marie Osmond and Valerie Bertinelli, our world is filled with the promise that Skinny will bring Smiles. In one of the fattest cities of our great, fat nation, I carry more weight than I should, and yes, when I hear promises of quick weight loss and miracle makeovers, my head turns. I have to admit to being full of cynicism, though, knowing that pills and plans don't do the work I wish they could. However, on my quest to give myself a chance, and to revise my evaluations of the world around me, I have learned about the glory of educated choices, and the power of controlling my life. Instead of yelling and screaming at contestants and viewers about their fat faults, or pointing and laughing, I think Jamie Oliver's show is trying to teach. What a revolutionary concept.

Typically, I am not a fan of weight-centric shows. Having suffered with weight issues throughout my life, I can safely say that having Jillian Michaels screaming in my face will do nothing for me. Cruelty does not grant success. It's no secret that weight issues and self-esteem are linked. While doing some research for this post, I found countless articles filled with experiments or social commentary about the effect of self-esteem on weight and vice versa. One study in China, where 'thin' has taken on a brand new meaning due to Western exposure, shows that even the perception of fat can alter personality, mood, and behavior. Chinese teens who believed themselves to be overweight saw dramatic decreases in grades, school participation, and socializing.

Bin Xie, the associate professor at USC who documented this study, said, "The major point here is that misperception has an important impact on academic performance and a person’s psychological experience." Whether or not these students were actually normal weight did not matter; what they were told about themselves, as well as what they believed, negatively affected their motivation.

It also cannot be healthy to propagate the mindset that overweight people belong in a class of their own. Shows such as "Dance Your Ass Off" or "More to Love" are simply excuses to reinstate carnival freak shows from days gone by. Considering one was an experiment to prove that fat people can still dance, while the other maintains that only fat people can date fat people (and fat people would only want to date fat people), I have to wonder. Does the general public think people don't realize they're overweight? I believe the consensus is that those with weight issues can be teased because, unlike race, being overweight is a 'choice'.

Without delving into what society deems "fat" and "thin", Jamie Oliver is attacking the ignorance factor. It is probably true that the majority of parents have no idea what their kids eat for lunch. Somehow I managed to make it through at least two years of high school eating a bag of chips for lunch every day. Surely if my mom had any clue she would've suggested something a little healthier. But my mother has always been someone who cooks, so despite what damage I may do to myself between 8am - 4pm, there would be vegetables on the table at night. Her schedule and her sense of priority allowed for that.

Oliver appeals to the sense of priority bit. He understands lack of schedule, working multiple jobs, and the fact that a lot of people simply do not know what to do anymore. Fast food is cheap and easy, and most kids like it. Beyond that, I see those who were raised on prepackaged foods suffering as adults, wondering how they're not losing weight when they eat restaurant salads, or heat foods up in the microwave for every meal. It is rare to find someone in our society with a very clear picture of the caloric value of foods. Additionally, finding people who comprehend what is IN the food they eat seems even more difficult.

A study performed by the University of Deleware shows an increase in organic food demand of about 20% since 2003, as well as a 70% increase in genetically modified foods. When faced with the term, consumers posed all sorts of concerned queries for researchers about what genetically modified means, what health concerns follow it, and how it affects the environment. What I find fascinating is the designation between organic and genetically modified. Basically, no matter how it is grown, produced, harvested, or treated, genetically modified food cannot be considered organic. The only way to avoid any sort of genetic modification in your food is to buy something labeled organic, which, at least in Houston, means it costs as much as $3.00 more at times. I completely understand how that is not an option for families, especially in our current economy. Purchasing a five dollar head of lettuce that your child won't eat anyway definitely feels wasteful.

Again I point toward Oliver's suggestions. In his kitchen, a restaurant-type business that he's set up in West Virginia where he teaches people how to cook, Jamie preaches the gospel of frozen foods instead of cans. He shows teenagers that putting two veggies and a chicken breast in a pan makes a meal. Parents learn options that make vegetables taste good to their kids, and even though I didn't realize it, it seems that giving the kids a job in the kitchen often makes them feel included, making the final result more receptive children at the table. Yes, it is also best if we clean off our tables and use them for eating again. That will be a big challenge for me.

I suppose I gravitate toward this show because my house is undergoing its own nutritional revolution. I know that I really respect and appreciate the way he handles the people he's teaching. He doesn't talk down to anyone, but listens intently to their frustrations and fears. He counters all the obstacles thrown in his path with logical statements, reasonable options, and instead of hoping people figure it out for themselves, he provides reasonable assistance. Not once does he lock the overweight family in a compound filled with "nice" and "naughty" cabinets, supplied with all the sugary, addictive foods that caused the problems in the first place. THAT type of behavior shows complete ignorance, believing the solution to weight problems is to simply stop eating.

Biggest Loser season 4 winner Bill Germanakos said last January, “I’m a morbidly obese person in a fit body. I’m hungry all the time. Every day is a struggle.” Meanwhile season three's Eric Chopin regained 122 pounds after his win. Season one champion Ryan Benson gained thirty pounds immediately following the contest simply by re-hydrating. Obviously competition, money, and ridicule are not motivation, which indicates that there is more here than a problem with willpower.

Jamie Oliver is teaching more than nutrition, and he's opening our eyes to more than what is offered in the school cafeteria. If the consistent and unhealthy loss of weight is considered a disease worthy of patience, therapy and understanding, perhaps we really do need to wake up. Oliver is teaching the country that the consistent and unhealthy gain of weight is a disease that encompasses the body, mind, and soul. He is finding sympathy, patience, and understanding for those who need it desperately - those being ridiculed in the corner.