Gordon Ramsay: Child Obesity

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Last year, Jamie Oliver called British parents "tossers" for feeding their kids junk food (see previous article). This year, Gordon Ramsay is going one step further: he wants parents of obese kids to be hauled into court and fined. According to UPI, Gordon, who has four kids of his own, thinks this the only way to get parents to understand: If kids become obese and out of control, then seriously fine the parents and threaten them with a court appearance because they often don't realize what they are doing. If you're going to be a healthy nation then you've got to discipline the parents for having no control. Obesity is a serious problem that has serious repercussions in society. This year's debate in Congress over the 2007 Farm Bill is an indication of how serious the problem is and who else is responsible for it. But is this idea of Gordon's a good idea? Think about the implications of such a move were it to happen in the US (or the UK). Courts would be swamped with parents, paying fines and counter suing. They might sue fast food restaurants, junk food makers, school lunch purveyors, candy companies, soda companies, the medical profession for not intervening early in their children's health, etc. The concept is impractical. Maybe what Gordon has done, however, is point out how chefs can and need to get involved in this debate. Chefs have kids, they feed parents who have kids, they feed kids. Chefs are concerned with good food, and can use their knowledge and celebrity status to raise awareness and encourage action. Some American chefs have joined the debate. Are enough American chefs speaking out strongly? Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay: Reality Lawsuit Will Beckham Spice Ramsay With Puck? Marco Pierre White: The Devil in the Kitchen Gordon Ramsay: Find Me a Fanny Gordon Ramsay: Say No to Celebrity! Gordon Ramsay v James Bond Gordon Ramsay: Women Can't Cook Gordon Ramsay: A Chef For All Seasons Gordon Ramsay: In the Heat of the Kitchen Gordon Ramsay on Jay Leno: Funnier than Hell Hell's Kitchen on ICE Sneak Peak: Hell's Kitchen, with Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay Joins Richard Branson in Fox's Reality TV Hell Obesity Jamie Oliver: Junk Food Be Cursed! Jamie Oliver Betters British School Food FOOD PIX: Jamie Oliver Fat Suit Eric Schlosser: Chew On This Nora Sands: Nora's Dinners Common Threads' World Festival Jamie Oliver: School Lunch Alice Waters: Ms. Smith Goes to Washington Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Food Culture USA [Chefs & Politics - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef