personally, i think she has indulged in a bit of simplistic thinking and played into the hands of the overarching discourse of 'the poor do it to themselves'. I really hope this is not her actual opinion, as it seems such a waste of a good role model - few and far between.
I dont think anyone on this thread is saying 'yes 'the poor' will be obese and lets give up on that'!
The reality is that there is an obesity problem, yes, and also, yes, its possible to eat more healthily than a lot of people do even on benefits. However that does not and should not result in a blame the poor attitude and tell them off, which is being used to excuse a lot of dreadful things at the moment.
The skills gap is clearly an issue, in cooking, and also menu planning, nutrition and budgeting.
The resources gap is also clearly an issue. If you don't have a cooker, or alternatives such as a slow cooker/ grill/ bread maker etc, or constant source of electricity to use these... then no matter what your skills, it will be incredibly hard to keep your family eating healthily.
Same goes for having money for an initial outlay of pans and equipment, spices and store cupboard items. If you start from absolutely nothing, then the barriers to getting yourself into a position where you can cook smart are high. Councils used to give start up bursaries to buy things like cookers etc, but as with so many things, this help has been cut.
Also add in the mental and emotional strain of being in a dire situation day after day. As someone else has said on this thread, doing this for a week is not in any way the same as living like this forever...
Then think about the environment in which people are living in poverty, the damp, and the cold, their food needs are different from someone living in a warm dry pleasant and healthy place. If your house is foul and virtually unliveable in, then you spend as much time out of it as possible, if you are permanently cold and your children too, then you look for hot and instant food to alleviate the misery. If your life is miserable then why not 'treat' yourself and your children with cheap and 'fun' food? Not saying this is a long term way of living, but I can see how the short term benefits can lock you into an unhealthy way of life.
I think someone who manages well in these circumstances is to be applauded, and held up as a great role model. I do not think that that one person should then become the benchmark of what everyone else should be expected to do or else... turning the exceptional into the base standard is not in any way helpful.