How many times must a man look up and pretend that he just doesn’t see?
Welcome back!
I’m not sure who or what is more powerful, Alice Waters or 60 Minutes. I do know that Ms. Waters appeared on the Sunday night show and suggested that there should be a children’s garden at the White House. Within a few days, the White house announced plans to place an organic garden on the South lawn that is to include some 55 varieties of vegetables and herbs. The entire idea is to stress the importance of fresh, healthy foods that have escaped the notice of our nation’s youth (and their parents) for much too long.
We keep reading the horror stories of childhood obesity and the emergence of Type 2 Diabetes now prevalent amongst our kids. So many talk about it, but the situation keeps getting worse. Alice Waters talked about it and for whatever reason, she made something happen. Childhood obesity is the unacceptable conclusion to our “fast-food nation” and an adult population that became too busy to notice what was really happening. We have met the enemy and they are us.
We (Restaurant Report) might not make it to 60 Minutes, but we intend to allow our audience (chefs and culinary professionals) to step up and help fix this problem. The garden at the White House is an amazing first step, but what we really need is a garden in every elementary school in America. We need to change our fast-food culture to something entirely different. Our kids deserve better and the task is formidable, but not impossible.
We plan to ask our chefs for their help, and yes, we will talk with Alice Waters (and anyone else who is devoted to this cause). Childhood obesity is unacceptable, and we’re not going to take it anymore!
Please share your thoughts and suggestions…
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A great first step would be for restaurants to ask their suppliers for foods without transfats (ingredients like hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils). If distributors had demand for better quality fats, food manufacturers would offer them. As it is, schools source from many of the same distributors restaurants use, and the distributors claim they don’t have a line of products without transfats of high fructose corn syrup, ingredients which do not contribute to the health of children. Dr. David Ludwig, a pediatrician specializing in childhood obesity, has said that “transfats are the closest thing to poison we have in our food system”. If restaurants demanded higher quality fats, distributors would have to find sources, and these would then be available for schools to use as well.