I have never been to Huntington, WV, though I have very distant relatives living in the state. But I do have some idea of the state of eating in that part of the country.
British chef Jamie Oliver, known for his work in his native country on school lunches, is starting a reality show set in the West Virginia city geared toward getting them to eat better.
The area is beset with a combination of poor residents and traditions that aren't always the healthiest. But there is legitimate dispute over the findings of labeling Huntington America's unhealthiest city. Despite this, Huntington is in bad enough shape that it could use the help, even from a chef known for being on TV.
The New York Times profiled Oliver's initial visit to Huntington, showing off some of the more colorful dining options in Huntington.
On his first day in Huntington, W. Va., Jamie Oliver spent the afternoon at Hillbilly Hot Dogs, pitching in to cook its signature 15-pound burger. That's 10 pounds of meat, 5 pounds of custom-made bun, American cheese, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Then he learned how to perfect the Home Wrecker, the eatery's famous 15-inch, one-pound hot dog (boil first, then grill in butter). For the Home Wrecker Challenge, the dog gets 11 toppings, including chili sauce, jalapeños, liquid nacho cheese and coleslaw. Finish it in 12 minutes or less and you get a T-shirt.On his first day in Huntington, W. Va., Jamie Oliver spent the afternoon at Hillbilly Hot Dogs, pitching in to cook its signature 15-pound burger. That's 10 pounds of meat, 5 pounds of custom-made bun, American cheese, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Then he learned how to perfect the Home Wrecker, the eatery's famous 15-inch, one-pound hot dog (boil first, then grill in butter). For the Home Wrecker Challenge, the dog gets 11 toppings, including chili sauce, jalapeños, liquid nacho cheese and coleslaw. Finish it in 12 minutes or less and you get a T-shirt.
This doesn't apply to every restaurant, but it's not a sign that there is a positive environment either.
Getting an individual to change habits, TV show or not, is rather difficult. But convincing a city to make a significant adjustment is a much more arduous task. Or is it?
As I wrote about in February 2008, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett tried to get his city (1.1 million metro area) to lose 1 million pounds. But those goals were pretty light, pardon the pun. If we have learned nothing else from watching people lose weight on TV on the "Biggest Loser," you must have visually noticeable weight loss.
The danger is that Oliver and ABC get caught up in the television part and not on helping these people learn new and better habits on how to eat. More often, people just need to know that there are other ways to eat besides what they traditionally know. Oliver has had good experiences in his native England, but America requires a different approach. If Oliver isn't familiar with this part of the United States, he will become acquainted rather soon.
If sincerity reigns supreme, it may not matter too much whether the project is successful. Giving people such as this, as well as the audience on television, exposure to a healthier way of eating is success in itself. After all, the way of eating in certain parts of the United States has been well-established for multiple generations. One TV show over a few weeks can only do so much good.
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