Citation
(2005), "Is Jamie Oliver wrong about school meals and health?", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 35 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2005.01735dab.021
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Is Jamie Oliver wrong about school meals and health?
Is Jamie Oliver wrong about school meals and health?
As TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign for better school meals is endorsed by the government, with Tony Blair promising to launch a new School Food Trust, Rob Lyons – writing on the online current affairs publication spiked [www.spiked-online.com] – argues that "Jamie Oliver's claims deserve to be challenged because they create unnecessary fears about what we eat".
Lyons offers a critical counterpoint to the most sensational assertions made in the recent Channel 4 programme Jamie's School Dinners:
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On constipation and vomiting: "Oliver claimed that badly-fed children are becoming so constipated that they are puking up their own 'shit'. Is it really possible for this to occur? Not according to Professor Roy Pounder of the Royal Free and University College medical school in London. What is possible is to regurgitate barely digested food in severe cases of constipation – but even that is extremely rare."
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On children dying before their parents: "Oliver said today's obese kids will be the first generation to die before their parents. This is the most astounding claim of all – but it is completely unsupportable. In the face of supposedly unhealthy modern diets and eating habits, life expectancies continue to rise."
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On behaviour: "Does bad diet cause bad behaviour, as Oliver claimed? There have been studies which suggest that malnourishment in early life can lead to anti-social behaviour later on. However, to extrapolate from these to children's diets in Britain today assumes that British kids are actually malnourished, and that processed food is devoid of important nutrients. In fact, the much-maligned burger and chips has plenty of vitamins, minerals and protein."
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On asthma: "Food is only occasionally mentioned by Asthma UK as a trigger for asthma attacks – and the foods mentioned were as likely to be "healthy" ones, such as bananas or cheese, as processed."
"Hard to swallow", by Rob Lyons, is available on spiked at: http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/0000000CA952.htm