Minister rejects Jamie Oliver approach to health

[July 01, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- Britain's new health minister has rejected celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's approach to improving school food and tackling childhood obesity.

Andrew Lansley has told the British Medical Association that the chef's campaign to improve nutrition among students did not result in more children eating school meals.

Oliver has campaigned since 2004 to ban junk food in Britain's schools and reform children's unhealthy diet. He has recently taken his campaign to West Virginia.

Lansley says Wednesday "constantly lecturing people" and telling them what to eat is counterproductive.

But Oliver says Lansley's comments are not accurate. The chef also says the comments were an "insult" to the school lunch ladies and others who worked hard to feed better meals to children.

[Associated Press]

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