It’s been more than five years since Jamie Oliver’s Emmy-Award-winning Food Revolution aired on ABC, thrusting Huntington, West Virginia into the national spotlight. The series also prompted Winning the Food Fight, the book I helped Pastor Steve Willis (featured in two episodes) write. Although progress in the obesity battle is slow and often frustrating, this…
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The recent story that an apple a day may not keep the doctor makes for good headlines, but I beg to differ. There is more to this story than meets the casual eye. Granted, researchers who followed more than 8,000 people over a three-year period found those who ate an apple daily didn’t have significantly…
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March marked the fifth anniversary of the premiere of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The six-week ABC mini-series won an Emmy Award for “Best Reality Series” and catapulted Huntington, West Virginia into the national spotlight. Not only did the lush, colorful scenes that opened each installment put an attractive face on the area, it brought permanent…
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According to the researchers who check the pulse of America, I live in the most miserable state in the nation. West Virginia recently topped the ratings for the sixth consecutive year, dragged down by such factors as poor well-being, motivation, finances, safety, and health. Kentucky and Ohio, the two states bordering the area where I…
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The connections between Pastor Rick Warren and me are thin as a reed. We have never met and—considering his schedule—aren’t likely to in the future. Yet a few links exist, starting with me writing a couple stories for the Purpose Driven web site, back when his mega-bestseller had created a mini-publishing boom at Saddleback Church.…
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By Ken Walker – While it isn’t likely to attract national media attention, the Try This Conference at West Virginia Wesleyan College June 6-7 is a remarkable story of the grassroots awakening of healthy lifestyles in the state. One of the most tangible signs is the conference selling out in advance. The 350 attendees already…
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By Ken Walker – I mentioned in my last blog that Huntington, West Virginia had recently regained the ignominious honor of reclaiming the #1 spot as America’s fattest city. This came on the heels of another insult. Namely, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ranking our city the lowest in the nation. Unfortunately, this morphed into the…
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By Ken Walker- May brings more good news to the city that entered the national spotlight four years ago through Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Indeed, there are so many encouraging developments that Huntington, West Virginia serves as a model for communities everywhere hoping to attack obesity problems. As I write this, the Wild Ramp is…
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When I interviewed Steve Willis nearly four years ago for a story about the filming of the final episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I had no idea the assignment would lead to a book. Until Steve later reminded me of it, I had forgotten an off-handed remark I made that day. After appearing on…
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By Ken Walker- Recently I attended a free seminar on men’s health and nutrition at Huntington’s Kitchen. The life of this sparkling facility originated as the cooking studio during filming of the ABC Network’s Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. While this was only the latest of several visits to this downtown storefront space, this trip gave…
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