TED Prize Winner Jamie Oliver Vows to Fight Obesity

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-02-11 10:50:00 UTC
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Chef and food activist Jamie Oliver has been named winner of the 2010 TED Prize, a prestigious honor given every year at the TED, or Technology, Entertainment and Design, conference, where innovative thinkers gather to exchange ideas for bettering the world. As the winner of this prize, Oliver is given $100,000 and granted one wish, which the TED prize committee helps realize.

“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity,” Oliver stated at last night's prize ceremony in Long Beach, California.

This ambitious agenda comes with a specific plan, according to the TED blog. Oliver and those working with him will create an organization to propagate a popular movement to transform people's unhealthy eating. The endeavor will involve a network of community kitchens, a roving acting troop that will illustrate to kids and adults why healthy food is important and how to cook it for oneself, and a dynamic online community where people can learn more and engage on the issue.

The blog states that the movement will also partner with corporations on programs to help "change the culture of junk food." Forgive me if I'm skeptical that the corporate world will offer much substantive help, but it is worthy of Oliver to try to engage those powers.

TED Curator Chris Anderson stated in an interview that "...the issue of obesity, both in the US and worldwide, is a very big deal.... And we were interested in finding an inspirational figure who could address that."

I do believe they've found a good one. Oliver is a young, appealing and dynamic individual who has already done a lot for this cause. (Not only that but he offers the best roast chicken recipe you'll ever taste.)

Coming as it does hot on the heels of Michelle Obama's announcement of her Let's Move campaign against childhood obesity, Oliver's wish is establishing healthy eating even more firmly as a cultural high priority.

Just one question, though: Does the launch of two high-profile anti-obesity campaigns in one week signify that we are ready to take off the gloves and tackle this thing for real, or is it all a bunch of hot air until we restructure our agriculture industry entirely?

Photo: really short via Flickr

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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