Paula Deen

Paula Deen

Paula Deen and Diabetes

You may have noticed that Paula Deen has been getting more air time than usual as of late. Apparently, she’s had type-2 diabetes for the past three years and forgot to tell anyone. The public has been very reactive over this news; she is a famous TV personality, after all.

“What did you expect, have you seen the food she cooks on her show?” Well, that’s a good point, but not the entire story.

Type-2 diabetes is a tricky disease. It can creep up on you suddenly, and often people aren’t symptomatic before being diagnosed. The question here is whether Paula Deen got the condition as a result of her cooking and eating habits. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer, because getting diabetes is the result of poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics.

Why the backlash? People feel deceived. The public has a personal connection with Ms Deen, and feel as if they should have been made aware of her medical condition. Nothing is further from the truth. Regardless of her cooking style or public image, her health is her own personal business- not ours.

Paula Deen has spent 20 years becoming a public figure. In the interim, she’s transformed herself into a celebrity. Her rise to star-status has been deliberate, well-planned, and perfectly executed. What has resulted from her hard work is a cooking empire with television shows, cookbooks, and cookware. Good for her.

Does Paula have a responsibility to her viewers to cook healthier? Maybe. I’ve seen her cook up a burger with cheese and bacon only to serve it between two doughnuts. It looked delicious, but would I ever eat one? Never. If you, as a viewer, can’t make the distinction between eating well and consuming hordes of fat and sugar, it’s time to educate yourself about food.

The Icing on the Cake

Paula Deen has partnered with a drug manufacturer to help promote a diabetes drug. I think this is an exceptional idea. Before she’s a cook or celebrity, Paula Deen is a businesswoman. Like or not, one of the first thoughts running through her mind after diagnosis was, “How can I make this work to my advantage?” Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not; that’s what successful people do.

I imagine Paula will tone things down now- she’ll use less butter, deep-fry fewer foods, and decrease portion sizes… what a shame; it was fun while it lasted.

Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?

Chef Chuck Kerber

Cooksandeats.com

chuck@cooksandeats.com