Jamie Oliver: Flash Mobs and Jumbo Caskets

On the most recent episode of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," the British chef uses a campaign of shock and awe to convince the biggest naysayer in town that his cause is just. He also relies on a pop culture phenomenon and a sad example of morbid obesity to make the point that overeating will kill you.

Jamie goes to the largest radio morning show in town to face DJ Rod Willis at WDGG. The interview is tense and Jamie challenges Rod, "If I can get 1,000 people taught to cook in the next five days, can you start helping me and being on my side a bit?"

Rod agrees, the winner of the bet buys a beer. Afterwards, Jamie is off to figure out where to rustle up 1,000 folks for 15-minute cooking lessons complete with a wok and a stir fry recipe.

Jamie uses a new media technique to garner a little attention, a flash mob. He works with students at Marshall University to develop a dance routine performed at high noon at the campus center. The students appear to be mingling randomly in the center when suddenly they break out into dance and actually cook a meal complete with hip-hop dance moves, hot plates and spatulas.

This is an excellent first step to garner some buzz. TV crews are on hand to capture it all and lots of students and faculty observe the show and start talking about going down to Jamie's Kitchen in downtown Huntington to get their cooking lesson.

The sobering moment of the show is when Jamie takes Rod to a funeral to see what a morbidly obese casket looks like. It is daunting how large the casket is.

"This is more and more a part of our job as we see what's happening in our society," said Dave Amos, the funeral director. "Their loved one is so large you're not going to be able to have the traditional funeral and viewing that you're used to. The cemetery is going to require that you have two grave spaces."

"It's hard for you to have dignity," said Jamie. Amos agrees. In fact, the largest manufacturer of caskets, Batesville, says their sales of caskets to accommodate obesity have tripled in the last 10 years. If you weigh 33 percent more than your optimum weight you can expect to shave three years off your life.

The show culminates with a "Good Morning America" appearance to highlight the 1,000th person cooking, Rod himself has that honor, along with many local dignitaries including the Mayor of Huntington and West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.

The cause to fight obesity has started with celebrities like First Lady Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver, and is now being passed on to government honchos. The First Lady's initiative would provide funding for schools to develop healthier school lunch programs and people like Gov. Manchin have said, "We're not going to let this fade away, what you've started."

But it really rests with the regular folk, you and me. We need to go into our own communities and effect change. Here are three simple steps you can take:

1. Learn how to cook one healthy meal. It could be from Jamie's suggestions or you could pick up a cookbook in your local library or bookstore.
2. Plan exercise with your family. Something simple like a walk around the block or playing ball in the back yard.
3. Tell someone else about something healthy you learned about and pay it forward.

Want to get cooking tonight? Here are some links to more healthy home-cooked recipes.