There is no denying it, Jamie Oliver is hitting the United States and making a statement.  His desire to create healthy eating for children is commendable, but his passion to inspire at-risk teens is sensational! Building a teen’s self esteem, whether through playing sports, cooking, volunteering, earning money, participating in youth groups and more, is the path to helping them make better choices in their lives.

Peer pressure can be one of the most difficult situations for teenagers today. When your teen has a focus, a drive, and a passion for their interest (whether it is tennis, chess, dance, cooking, swimming, etc), chances are very good they will stay on track to create their positive future.

In a recent episode of Food Revolution, Jamie employed the assistant of several high school teens: Brittany, whose lifelong weight problem has caused irreversible liver damage and shortened her life expectancy; Marisa, whose father died prematurely as a result of obesity; Ryan, a troubled teen who wants to get his life back in order by learning a new skill; Robert, a football player who struggles with his weight; Brian, whose family is plagued by obesity; and Emily, whose dream is to attend culinary school.

Jamie Oliver then shocks the teens by asking the kids to secretly prepare a gourmet meal for the state senator, local legislators, and community leaders in order to raise necessary funds to train the school staff to cook fresh food. The results were amazing!

All of these teens were inspired and changed, their comments brought tears to your eyes. Ryan, who is plagued by issues with the law and had been in facilities for troubled teens, commented that Jamie Oliver’s program has changed him.  Watch the full episode here.