I found this TED talk when searching for clips for my Public Health Nutrition class. I found it to be a great snapshot of the issues there are with food, nutrition and obesity in the US, but also the solutions. I think the solution part was the most important and moving portion. By now most people know that there is a big problem with food, nutrition and obesity and that there needs to be a change, but there has yet to be a solution. I liked how he acknowledged that people such as school lunch workers are doing their best and doing what they are told, but this is what needs to change. He goes on to explain the real and tangible changes that can and need to happen. | |
One important change is in schools, where children are eating most of their meals on a daily basis. He explains how there needs to be a new standard of fresh, local and nutritious foods served to children and that the children should also be leaving school knowing how to cook and understanding food so that this knowledge can be spread. He shows clips of him working in schools with children who don’t know what vegetables even look like. But he makes a point to explain that to teach this to the children took all of two minutes. I love how he puts emphasis on real and attainable change and that every single individual effort truly counts in creating this necessary change. His wish:
“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”
This wish to me is what being a part of Project Bread is. Not only helping with food insecurities, but making sure that people learn and gain more than just a meal and that the meals given are nutritious, fresh and local. Knowing that people are gaining food knowledge and can learn what healthy food means and that they are able to create their own healthy foods and make healthy food choices. Making sure that everyone has food to eat and making sure that food is healthy and fresh and then making that a part of everyone’s knowledge, all being done by individuals and understanding that every individual effort counts; that to me is what Project Bread strives for in all of their many efforts to alleviate hunger.
-Allison Colson
-Allison Colson