Oliver targets US town where half of adults are obese

Jamie Oliver is to bring his brand of healthy eating to a US town where half the adults are obese.

The TV chef – who has previously extolled the benefits of a good diet in UK TV shows ‘Jamie’s School Dinners’ and ‘Jamie’s Ministry of Food’ – will travel to Huntington in West Virginia for the new show, which will see him try to overhaul locals’ diets.

The town has a 51,000 population, with one in five of those who are middle-aged having heart problems. Half of the elderly also don’t have any natural teeth, according to Britain’s The Sun newspaper.

Taking into account adults over 20, 45% per cent of residents are categorised as obese. Figures claim 21.6% of those over 45 have coronary disease.

Speaking about his similar project in the UK, Jamie has said: “We love our ready meals and takeaways and seem to be eating more of them then ever.

“We really seem to have lost the plot a bit when it comes to passing on our cooking skills from generation to generation. Some of the people I met in my cooking classes didn't know how to mash a potato!”

Huntington locals claim weight is a problem in the whole region, not just in their town.

In the NBC show, Jamie will examine school meal menus, look at how popular fresh fruit and vegetables are among residents and examine the amount of fast food shops in the area.

The programme will air next year.