It’s easy to be fat when you’re poor. At least that’s what the U.S. Government says. A new study – from the Department of Health and Human Services says living in a poverty-stricken neighborhood means you’re more likely to be obese. To curb this trend, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz is working with students in poor communities to get them to eat better. His organization, Healthcorps, recently sponsored Teen Battle Chef, a cooking event for teens.
Tomato being sliced by a West Side High Student at Teen Battle Chef
Most high school students eat for the wrong reason says Amy Barone, the Communications Director for HealthCorps. She says the students use food to feed an emotional hunger rather than a physical hunger. They eat “because of a lack of love, friendship, and sense of loneliness”.
That’s where Teen Battle Chef plays a critical role. Goodman says the competition spreads the message that proper nutrition is essential to ward off diseases like obesity and diabetes. Obesity levels having tripled since the 1970s says an article published by the Journal of Childhood Obesity. Goodman adds that many HealthCorps schools “now have healthier snacks in vending machines and no sugary drinks”
The most recent Teen Battle Chef Competition was held at Fairway Market in Harlem. Students from Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, in the center of NYCHA’s Douglass Houses, won the competition.
Butternut squash peeled by West Side High Students at Teen Battle Chef
