I've always admired Jamie Oliver, he's principled and spirited and far from resting on his laurels, which he's rich enough to do, he campaigns tirelessly on behalf of our children's diets.
Jamie has yet again waged war on the food industry and the government regarding how many teenagers and children, including those of nursery age, are consuming more sugar than is recommended by the World Health Organisation.
Jamie seems to think that the British public make good choices when they are given good, clear information and that by labelling soft drinks with a symbol showing how many teaspoons of sugar lurk within, they will be shocked!
I hate to pour cold water over this theory, but we only have to look back at his healthy school dinner campaign which saw mothers pushing junk food and sugary drinks through the school fences at lunchtime for their kids. Added to which, it's not rocket science is it, we all know that soft drinks such as Pepsi are full of sugar, and although we have the luxury of running water, which many third world countries don't, we still allow our children to quench their thirst with soft drinks, many of which contain 14 teaspoons of sugar per 500ml.
The big manufacturers don't want us to know that their products are high in sugar, salt and fat, they don't want us to know about the conditions of intensively reared animals which are pumped full of chemicals, they don't want us to know that chemically processed food is slowly killing us. Worse still, successive governments are complicit with these monolithic food corporations. Public Health England, the watchdog responsible for improving the nations health and wellbeing, have drawn up a report and have concluded a tax on sugar would help to curb our obesity epidemic. Apparently, David Cameron paid lip service to the issue in meetings with Jamie Oliver but has ruled out the idea - without even reading the report!
Of course, the majority of the well-off cook from scratch in their luxury, bespoke kitchens, using organic and free-range produce. Cameron and Ian Wright, head of the Food and Drink Federation, who said Oliver's concerns are overblown, wouldn't touch a turkey twizzler with a barge pole and are savvy enough to realise that many ready-meals contain almost twice as much sugar as a can of Coca-Cola. So, the health of the nation is ignored and the masses dine on processed food laced with sugar, salt, fat and a cocktail of chemicals. We happily guzzle a 400g crispy sweet & sour chicken meal from Sainsbury's which contains 15 teaspoons of sugar, washed down with a soft drink containing a further 14 teaspoons of sugar, and that's before dessert!
The problem is, we've handed the control over our diets to the food industry and they've played havoc with it. Obesity is associated with poverty yet a couple of generations ago, poverty kept people immune from obesity. The equation has been reversed and suddenly it seems, the poor can't peel and boil potatoes or drink water, they have to have everything ready-made and soft drinks, which were confined to Christmas or birthday parties when I was a child, are now the single largest source of sugar consumption for children.
Jamie Oliver has asked: 'Who is running this country, the businesses who are profiting from ill-health, or us?' I would say that mothers who are too busy to read food labels or boil carrots and are happy to ignore the obvious dangers of processed food are as complicit as the food industry and the government.
Education is the only way forward, we need to teach children how to cook from scratch, to take back control. The food industry wants us to be confused and unclear about how they are doctoring our food so we will buy more of their products. Surgeons in the UK are currently performing 7,000 amputations a year because of type 2 diabetes, a stark warning that we should stop reading our iPads and start cooking our children's tea!
And finally, I'd like to add that demonising one food is dangerous, yes sugar is in abundance in the processed diet, from cereals to soups and salad dressings, so think about what you can make from scratch. We've demonised fat and carbs in the past but it's not about good food or bad food, if it's natural, there are good amounts and bad amounts and as I said, it's really not rocket science.
Apple crisps
Recipe
Finely slice apples
Preheat oven to 180c-gas mark 4
Place apples on lightly greased parchment paper on a baking tray
Pop in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through
Turn the oven off and leave them for a further 20 minutes until baked dry
Remove, cool and store in an airtight container
'The reliable way out of obesity is via personal responsibility.'
- Michael Prager
'Fat people are funny......until obesity pays your child a visit.'
- Mokhonoana
Love Donna xxxxxxxx
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