British celebrity
chef Jamie Oliver is lobbying Canadian politicians to educate the public about
proper diets.
"The biggest killer in your country
is diet-related disease. It's not guns, it's not armed robbery," Oliver
said in an exclusive interview from Sydney, Australia, where he launched a global
campaign this week urging G20 countries to make food education mandatory in
schools.
"When it has a dramatic cost to
public health, which it does in Canada ... you really need to do something much
more long term, much more strategic."
Oliver is well known for his
international advocacy for healthy food in schools, but he's upping the ante
with his G20 campaign.
He's aiming for millions of signatures
worldwide, and is off to a good start: an online petition through the website
Change.org attracted 160,000 in the first 24 hours. Oliver cooked for G20
leaders in London at their 2009 summit.
