A potato?…uhhh…broccoli?…..No. A tomato.

I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t usually have time or I would rather be doing something else. But for weeks now, I have seen advertisements for ABC’s new six-part series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” During one of the commercials I watched, Jamie, a renowned British TV chef, asked a student what vegetable he was holding (he was holding tomatoes) and the student didn’t know. My mouth dropped. What? The kid hasn’t seen a real tomato enough times to know what one looks like? Then it showed the school kitchen where the female workers were preparing the daily school lunch. On the menu was mashed potatoes (made from some artificial ‘Potato Pearls’) and artificially flavored and colored milk. And to top it off, French Fries counted as vegetables on the school menu and pizza is served for breakfast! Those of us who are foodies and horrified of processed foods and additives would probably faint if we were Jamie Oliver.

Yes, this is extreme, but it is a reality in our country.

Jamie’s show, which is set to premiere tomorrow at 8/7c on ABC, hopes to take on obesity, diabetes and heart disease and reverse the prediction that America’s children are the first generation not expected to live as long as their parents. Jamie will travel to America’s “unhealthiest city”, Huntington, West Virginia, to bring to light the awful eating habits, food quality and weight problems present in American society. This show may be sad and unsettle some stomachs, but I think it is needed and I will be planning some TV time tomorrow night.

Anyone else going to be a couch potato (tomato? green bean?) tomorrow night as well to watch this show? Do you think this show is relevant? needed?

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manjithkaini/1061718736/