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| West Virginia pepperoni rolls. Photo: transplanted mountaineer/Flickr |
Oliver made the comments -- in which he also called America the unhealthiest nation in the world -- while speaking with a Sky News reporter about his latest reality show. He's spending three months in Huntington trying to make over the town's dietary habits in the as-yet-untitled show.
The show, slated to air on ABC, will feature such segments as the Naked Chef powwowing with school officials about cafeteria menus and parsing budgets with grocery-store managers. When it comes to municipal slimdowns, Oliver's on a bit of a roll: A similar program he produced in the U.K. persuaded then-prime minister Tony Blair to allocate an additional $453 million for healthy school lunches.
Oliver chose to focus his American campaign on Huntington, which has the ignominious distinction of being the nation's "fattest city." How fat is Huntington? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of its residents are obese, one-quarter of Huntingtonites suffer from heart disease, and a near-majority of the town's over-65 set are toothless.
Still, Josh Hammer, owner of a sandwich shop recently named one of the state's 101 most unique places to dine, shrugs off the statistics. "College kids eat fast food," he says. "Go to any college town anywhere and I guarantee you the diet's all fast food."
A collegiate palate does seem to prevail in Huntington, where -- according to the Associated Press -- local pizzerias outnumber the amount of gyms in the whole of West Virginia.
But Hammer insists plenty of Huntington residents are familiar with food that isn't deep-fried.
"I came off the farm, so everything we ate came off the farm," Hammer says. "I was brought up eating home-cooked meals."
So, apparently, was local councilman Scott Caserta, who neatly summarized the challenges Oliver faces in a post on Oliver's blog: "We are absolutely thrilled to have Jamie Oliver in our hometown," Caserta wrote. "Now if he can just show me a healthy way to make biscuits and gravy."
Tell us what you think in the comments below!
| Sure. | |
|---|---|
| We like ourselves the way we are. | |
| Slim down Brits instead. |
Jamie Oliver
British chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jules pose upon arriving to the "Pride of Britain" awards at the London Studios, London, October 9, 2007. The 'Pride of Britain' awards honour real life hero's from war veterans to people who risk their own lives to save others. It's the biggest national event of its kind in the United Kingdom.
EDMOND TERAKOPIAN, AFP/Getty Images
In this photo released by CBS, actor Tom Cruise, left, watches as chef Jamie Oliver, center, prepares a dish as host David Letterman appears to have a drink from a bottle of seasoning on the set of The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York, Tuesday, May 2, 2006.
CBS / AP
A photo of Jamie Oliver from his new show "Jamie at Home" on The Food network.
AP Photo/The Food Network
British chef Jamie Oliver poses for the media prior to the opening of his new dinner show "Das Jamie Oliver Dinner Frankfurt" on January 14, 2009 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Ralph Orlowski, Getty Images
Chef Jamie Oliver visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on November 10, 2008 in New York City.
Marcel Thomas, FilmMagic
Chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools arrive at The Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) at the Royal Opera House on February 10, 2008 in London, England.
Dave Hogan, Getty Images
Jamie Oliver sign copies of 'Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn To Cook in 24 Hours' at Waterstones on October 8, 2008 in London, England.
Fred Duval, FilmMagic
Jamie Oliver and wife Jools Oliver sighting on June 24, 2008 in London, England.
Fred Duval, FilmMagic
A photo provided by The Food Network shows Jamie Oliver from his new show "Jamie at Home" on The Food network.
AP Photo/The Food Network
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9-21-2009 @7:01PM Mike said... I watched "Jamie's School Lunches" and passed it on to a few friends. Changing a whole town's eating habits might be a bit pushy, but his efforts in the schools were pretty amazing to watch.
While teaching kids nutrition ( and feeding them well ) might not just give them a good basis to go forward with as they grow up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it spilled over to their homes and parents as well.
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9-21-2009 @8:37PM Haley said... I was raised in Huntington, WV and although it is, in fact, a college town, that is not to assume that the majority of students are unhealthy. What this article is lacking is the other side of the argument. It fails to mention that there are a number of healthy options in Huntington, and whether residents choose to visit them is an entirely separate matter. What matters is that once again, the entertainment business has targeted my hometown and it will therefore be made a mockery for all of America to ridicule.
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9-21-2009 @8:41PM tony said... ummm love those fat woman.
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9-21-2009 @8:59PM Katie said... I'm from just outside Huntington and most of the kids I see at school are a little too thin.
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9-22-2009 @5:10PM Matt W. said... I live in West Virginia myself (I'm actually from Fairmont, the "pepperoni roll" capital of the world), and, in addition to traveling to most areas in our beautiful state, I have also traveled to many other areas in the US. With that said, I would say that there are no more fat, shoeless, or toothless people here in the mountain state than there are anywhere else (and it is no easier to find those monsters in "Wrong Turn" here than in New York, Florida, or California...lol!). Also, I eat pepperoni rolls 2-3 times a week, and I'm really not fat (pepperoni rolls are no worse than strombolis, pizza, hot dogs, or hamburgers when it comes to fat and cholesterol content, and they are SO GOOD...I am very surprised they have never caught on outside of WV!). I really don't think that it is necessarily what you eat, but rather HOW MUCH of any particular food you eat that counts. It is okay to eat ANY of the items I mentioned above, so long as you enjoy them sparingly and don't eat three or four in a single day.
Anyway, if this show really is what it claims, I do think that it could help educate the obese population in general, if the focus is really about teaching folks to eat better rather than just brow beating the truly GREAT and beautiful state of West Virginia once again.
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9-21-2009 @9:15PM herdgrad said... I think you need to do more research because according to Mens Health Miami FL is the
# 1 Fattest city in America, which is taken from a RFG Research. Stop with the stero-type of WV and look a little more before you get your facts, yes there are alot of fast foods in this city but its a College town and you look around to other college towns and see what you have, we arent all about Fried Foods!!! Jamie Oliver may mean well but you cant change a city overnight
Despite wide availability of local running and biking trails Miami residents are 35 percent less likely than average to jog or cycle.
Ice cream shops are 141 percent more popular in Miami than average.
Mayor Manuel A. Diaz participates in fewer fitness-related public events than most mayors
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9-21-2009 @9:21PM Tom said... Seeins how me and my kinfolks is from the Huntington area, I kinda agree with them comments about there bein some bigguns up yonder. And the same goes for the toothlessness up there. As a matter of fact, my uncle maynard, tried to sue a movie studio because he thought the movie "Ole Yellar" was about his last remaining tooth. He lost.
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9-21-2009 @9:38PM Alia said... Dem danged possums is so durned tasty and they's so fatt'nin!
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9-21-2009 @10:18PM duncandaph said... ignorance is bliss
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9-24-2009 @3:53PM Kristina Hatcher said... Go somewhere else make fun of a town. Sorry, I am from West Virginia and I find this article very offensive! Find another town to call "fat"!!! GET OUT OF WV!
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9-21-2009 @10:30PM Dayna Howell 336-575-0955 said... I love West Virginia and the people are friendly. They have nice homes. The children seem happy and are clean. I have several relatives living in Southern and Central WV. They live extremely well, have more than they need. Some are self employed, some worked in the mines and some are office workers. Seems like any other state to me. If you want to see poverty, visit some of the nations cities, it is so sad that some children go to bed without food. And not because they can't get food, but that some parents use their money for other things. If you want an interesting tour, try a drive through WV. See the railroads (we love them). See beautiful mountains, good roads and pleasant people.
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9-21-2009 @10:31PM laughing said... no wonder with all the dam food stamps they hand out in this state
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9-21-2009 @10:37PM dnvtn said... I agree with Matt W. My Fairmont, WV mother-in-law who is fit and trim and cooks from "scratch" makes the best pepperoni rolls. Southern Californians don't know what they are missing.
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9-21-2009 @10:35PM laughing said... and for the record that is not what a wv pepperoni roll looks like so get the facts right
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9-21-2009 @10:41PM laughing said... Tom dont give up your day job if you have one that was not one bit funny just makes you look like a nitwit
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9-21-2009 @11:00PM Darius said... I don't live in WV and never have. I live in VA, and, sadly, WV is the brunt of many jokes here. Most of the jokes (I hope) are JUST jokes, but I often wonder how many people actually believe the WV jokes. Also, sometimes I believe it is not wise or helpful or good to bring up things which may be true, but are very hurtful to people's pride. I am convinced the WV jokes have little or no basis in truth, and also it saddens me to see someone trying to gain popularity on the backs of the misfortunes of others.
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9-21-2009 @11:10PM Laurel Richardson said... I am definitely in favor of healthy school lunches and vegetarian/vegan options other than fries and salad. However, I do have relatives in WV who compete in triathlons and are obsessively fit. My guess is that the educational level and economic level may have a bit more to do with the obesity. Perhaps the ecomonic level may not be easy to change, but educating the next generation may help. Kids are victims of their environment.
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9-21-2009 @11:30PM Robin said... I'm from Fairmont WV...ate healthy nutritious food, am thin, healthy and take NO medications at age 50. Stereotypes exist in every segment of society. Huntington is WAY further south, has a different demographic than Fairmont. Towns in the same state are not exactly the same, like any other place. I hope the project works, though, and that people get healthier because of the media attention.
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9-22-2009 @12:04AM TRACI FROM CLARKSBURG,WV said... GREAT ANOTHER STERO-TYPE, WE GO FROM RIDGERUNNING,COUCH BURNING PARTY ANIMALS. WHAT A SHAME THAT PEOPLE ARE SO SMALL MINDED THEY HAVE THE WEIGHT OF HUNTINGTON DOWN TO A SCIENCE. WV IS A BEAUTIFUL,AND FRIENDLY STATE WHERE THE PRIDE RUNS DEEP!FROM HUNTINGTON, TO CLARKSBURG(FAIRMONT), TO WHEELING. I THINK PEOPLE WILL AGREE WITH ME IN SAYING JUST LIKE ANY OTHER STATE WE HAVE PROBLEMS BUT ALLIN ALL IT GETS NO BETTER... ALMOST HEAVEN!(PS I LIKE D'NUNNZIO PEPPERONI ROLLS LOL!)
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9-22-2009 @12:08AM Amanda said... I lived in a town in WV off and on for 10+ years, and can honestly say that in that area, there were MORE morbidly obese people in that small area than I have ever seen bar none in other areas of the country. As a whole, our nation is getting fatter, but there are definite parts of the country that have "pockets" of obesity. And the town I lived in was one of them.
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