Paula Deen on the Today Show - what's your opinion?

gdaykatie

Anybody else see Paula Deen on the Today Show this morning?

I didn't have particular feelings towards her one way or another, but now I just straight up dislike her. She is basically advocating drugs (and getting compensated by a pharmaceutical company) over lifestyle changes to help type 2 diabetes. It's irresponsible. She has millions of followers who may follow her terrible advice. Plus? She waited three years to tell the public. I wouldn't care if she weren't famous, but she has a public responsibility with that damn cooking show of hers, and she's just exacerbating something that she could be helping.

What are your thoughts?

Suziq2you

I'm sorry, but if unless she forced people to cook and consume everything on her show, she has no responsiblity to her audience. They are responsible for what they purchase, prepare and consume.

steffiejoe

I like Paula Deen. I did not see the show today but
I think she may just be uneducated on how important diet and exerise is. Knowledge is power!

I hope she realizes this soon.

Athijade

I think no one is being forced to eat the type of food she makes. I do NOT think she has a responsibility to anyone to say, do, or reveal anything about herself. If you don't like her or her food, then don't watch her show or buy her cookbooks. Personal responsibility instead of putting it on the shoulders of famous people.

nickscutie

I did not see her today, but I read last week that she would be coming out publicly about diabetes and advocating for a drug company. I guess what I read turned out to be true.

I agree that is is irresponsible and dishonest. I think she should be embarrassed.

What she should have done if her career choice was to share her health issues, was to do that via her shows, and revamp them towards a healthier lifestyle. Show people that cooking the way she was led her down an unhealthy path, and now she has to make changes, and other can make those changes with her through food and diet. AND that people should talk to their doctor about their own specific health issues or concerns.

cmriverside

Yeah, if you buy into her cooking as good for you, then maybe you'll buy into her pharma-connection.


It does remind me of the dentist I had as a kid, though. He would give me a coupon for a free ice cream cone after my appointment. Talk about keeping your clientele dependent!

melsinct

I'm sorry, but if unless she forced people to cook and consume everything on her show, she has no responsiblity to her audience. They are responsible for what they purchase, prepare and consume.

Yup. If the American public are such sheep that they will follow health advice from Paula Deen, then they get what they deserve. It never ceases to amaze me how wowed people get by celebrity endorsements. :noway:

MaximalLife

The pharmaceutical industry has corrupted just about every American institution.

Everybody and their kids are on some kind of medication.

It's insane!

jhunny31

I like Paula, I do think she puts too much sugar in her sweets and one time when she ate a donut burger I could have barfed and thought it was the most unhealthiest mess I've ever seen in my life. I will catch up on the show sometime this week.

INSANITY43

I am not, nor have I ever been, a follower of Paula Deen. Have never even watched one of her shows in its entirety. With that being said, she was on Dr. Oz a while back and they were re-vamping some of her high calorie "comfort" foods like homemade mac & cheese to make it "lighter".

chevy88grl

Well. I didn't see the Today Show. And quite honestly? I find Paula Deen to be extremely annoying and the few times I've seen her cooking show? The food looked disgusting.

I feel like too many people rely too heavily on celebrities or other famous people to make decisions for them. As an adult, I'm going to do my research and find out what is best for me. I'm not going to base it on the fact that a celebrity says I should buy this or do this or whatever.

As for her thinking popping a pill is better than a lifestyle change. I think you'll find MANY people will agree with her simply because they don't want to change their life. They want to continue to eat the way they've been eating and are going to turn to a wonder pill to make it all better for them. I don't necessarily think people will pick the pill simply because Paula says to do so, I think they'll pick the pill because it is easier.

Sherie13

I didn't see the Today show this morning, but I like Paula Deen. Her food is NOT healthy nor does she claim to be. She is a heavy woman from the south. She's not going to make a lifestyle change because that's not her. My family is all from the south and when they asked me how I had lost weight, I told them diet and exercise at the gym every day... Their response "Hell NO!". So rather than tell everyone that diet and exercise is the way to do it, maybe she is letting them know that their are other options. Some people are not going to change their eating habits and that's just he way it is. To each their own...

GurleyGirl524

Hmmmmm, maybe this is why her son Bobby is trying to play up her recipes and make them more healthy.

No she does not have to be held responsible to her audience, but honesty to her audience would have been nice. How convenient for a public figure to not speak up about a condition that affects millions until you get an endorsement.

secrets_out

The pharmaceutical industry has corrupted just about every American institution.

Everybody and their kids are on some kind of medication.

It's insane!

I am on 0 medications I hate the idea of a pill fixing everything...got the hiccups? Heres a pill. Got the pre- pms blues? Heres a pill. Have a serious paper cut? Heres a pill!

missjelika

I think she sold out.
she got rich selling people a dangerous diet and lied about it for almost three years. and now instead of using this opportunity to admit that maybe her cooking wasn't the best, she says that the drugs she is endorsing don't require her to change her diet. too much(what pissed me off the most). pretty each what the Fu#k you want just spend more money paying for this drug.

she is a public figure and makes money out of being a public figure and so people listen to her.
she should have used this opportunity to show that you could still make good tasting southern food without killing yourself. instead she decided to make money and endorse a drug.

mrnls

Paula Deen did not make me overweight. McDonalds did not make me pre-diabetic.
Those are all choices I made on my own. I don't feel like she lied or cheated me in anyway. I watch her show and swear I am gaining weight. I cook everyday and can honestly say I have never made one of her dishes. But I love her and will continue to watch.

sundancer1966

I did not see the show, but I did hear what is going on with her. I personally can't stand her, and think it is a sin that she is pushing for a drug cure instead of a healthy cure.

I am still laughing at when she got in the face with a charity ham.

I really hope that she revamps her show and starts to act with some responsiblity.

AnninStPaul

Anybody else see Paula Deen on the Today Show this morning?

I didn't have particular feelings towards her one way or another, but now I just straight up dislike her. She is basically advocating drugs (and getting compensated by a pharmaceutical company) over lifestyle changes to help type 2 diabetes. It's irresponsible. She has millions of followers who may follow her terrible advice. Plus? She waited three years to tell the public. I wouldn't care if she weren't famous, but she has a public responsibility with that damn cooking show of hers, and she's just exacerbating something that she could be helping.

What are your thoughts?

She is neither a doctor, nutritionist, dietitian, or trainer, and I don't know that she ever claimed to be. She's a cook. At least as a pharmaceutical spokesperson her [annoying] drawl will be followed by warnings and disclaimers regarding the drug.

Enigmatica

I took a good look at her body and knew right away that I wouldn't want to eat whatever she's cooking.

_VoV

I think she is a fat-sugar-starch pusher, who should atone for her sins. She is harming people by giving everyone the idea that feast foods should be everyday foods. We have enough of that message from greedy corporations who don't care if they throw us under a bus, as long as they get our money.

She should do FREE public service messages, and if she teaches anyone about food, it should be how to make delectable foods that nourish us and sustain our health.

She's made enough money off the fat of the land.

Grokette

Anybody else see Paula Deen on the Today Show this morning?

I didn't have particular feelings towards her one way or another, but now I just straight up dislike her. She is basically advocating drugs (and getting compensated by a pharmaceutical company) over lifestyle changes to help type 2 diabetes. It's irresponsible. She has millions of followers who may follow her terrible advice. Plus? She waited three years to tell the public. I wouldn't care if she weren't famous, but she has a public responsibility with that damn cooking show of hers, and she's just exacerbating something that she could be helping.

What are your thoughts?

I feel exactly the way you do in regards to this................

Major win for the FDA, Big Pharma and other areas of the medical community all the while people keep following the ADA guidelines (which are very incorrect).

All Paula Dean needed to do is change her lifestyle to a controlled carb lifestyle, quite smoking and she could actually reverse her Diabetes. She is smarter than that!! I would hope anyway, maybe not.

NayaP

I didn't see the show but overall, she never professed to be a go-to source for healthy eating or living. People have to take personal responsibility...if they couldn't figure out that her recipies weren't exactly healthy while watching the show - I mean adding sticks of butter to everything shoulda clued them in - then that sadly is on them. And if those same people are now (after she's been publicly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes) willing to follow her advice on how to get healthy, that is is sadly on them. I place no real blame on Paula Dean...she strikes me as an old school cook who doesn't want to diet-down her cooking because of the times we live in; which honestly, I understand. Eating those foods every now and then is not a crime and no one should be made to feel like it is. Again, each person is responsible for their own health choices.

xjackie83

I've never really cared for her. I think it's kind of shameful for her to sit there as a person with diabetes and say that it's ok to eat the meals she cooks as long as it's in moderation. Having a donut maybe once a month is eating something in moderation. Having a donut hamburger with a side of mac and cheese and one of her gooey cakes for dessert is not moderation.

Also if she only eats her high calorie/fat/sugar foods in moderation what is she eating the rest of the time? Why isn't she showing Americans how to make those foods?

Grokette

I think she is a fat-sugar-starch pusher, who should atone for her sins. She is harming people by giving everyone the idea that feast foods should be everyday foods. We have enough of that message from greedy corporations who don't care if they throw us under a bus, as long as they get our money.

She should do FREE public service messages, and if she teaches anyone about food, it should be how to make delectable foods that nourish us and sustain our health.

She's made enough money off the fat of the land.

It is not the fat that is bad for us. Butter is actually healthy as it is a natural occurring fat. The sugar, flour and starch in her foods is what is killing her and many others.

And she needs to stop smoking

gdaykatie

I'm loving all these responses, and I do agree with points on both sides of the camps.

I do, however, think that when one assumes a public role, as she did, they must think of the repercussions of their actions. Sure, you and I might realize that these foods can lead to a very dangerous health problem if consumed regularly (Obviously, we're all on MFP for one reason or another), but there are those people who either A) Don't realize that or Realize it but don't care.

I'm just saying, she could have been more tactful in how she's reaching out to her audience instead of yet another celebrity endorsement of a pill. Again, just my opinion.

mixmastermolly

I think it's her body, her health, and our responsibility to educate ourselves on what is healthy. Sure it would be great for someone in the public eye to be a good representative of good health but she certainly isn't the only celebrity making poor choices. I never was much of a fan and it's a constant joke about Paula Deen and her butter so people know the health risks from her food and continue making/eating them.

skinnywithin

HER MEDICAL ISSUES ARE JUST THAT..HERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She doesnt need to report to any of us what her medical charts look like..Just becasue she is a celebrity she should still have the same respect that we give each other..PRIVACY !!!!!!!!

It is her issue weither or not she wants to take prescriptions to handle her issues..at her age she can do or NOT do what ever the heck she wants. ..She is a big girl she knows right from wrong just as we all do......DID you or would you like it is someone said OH DONT EAT THAT YOU TO HEAVY or YOU KNOW THATS BAD FOR YOU RIGHT??? It takes our own inner self to make the proper changes that we need to.

You see....this is whats wrong with people today...always pointing the finger at someone else..Im sure there are changes WE ALL NEED TO MAKE within !!!!!!!!!!! Sorry rant over........and YEA like Paula I LOVE BUTTER !!!!!!!!!

Savyna

I think some people are just too quick to let celebrities/people on the screen make decisions for you. I personally know that I can't really eat the food Ms. Deen cooks because its waaaay too heavy for me. Of course it looks tasty though and I might have a bite of it but I wouldn't go home and make it everyday and night because she did. Yes if she did know she had diabetes she should have been more cautious of what she was cooking, but then again we only see what she cooks in the studio, maybe in her home she was more careful, I'm not quite sure. I just hope that now that she knows for real and that the public knows along with her that she'll feel more pressure to think of healthier choices in her kitchen and eating lifestyle, that she could change that first and see how that can help with the drugs she might be taking, because in the end you can't just depend on the drugs you need to do your part too, and doctors tell you that when they say you have high cholesterol or diabetes, they tell you that you're going to have to exercise more, cut back on certain things etc. There are no miracle drugs.

Lesa_Sass

I like Paula Deen. I did not see the show today but
I think she may just be uneducated on how important diet and exerise is. Knowledge is power!

I hope she realizes this soon.

I am assuming you did not see her on Dr Oz either? Trust me, she knows, she refuses!!

BobbyDaniel

As a life long southerner...sorry, I cannot say anything bad about Ms. Paula. To do so would result in a visit by some large guys wearing bib overalls all named Bubba, who would then take me for a ride into the woods escorted by their baseball bats and a mostly empty bottle of Jim Beam.
And now, for some reason, I'm craving a stick of butter....

Manda_H

As long as she pushes the meds, people will keep eating her food and buying her books. For her to admit it was a terribly unhealthyw ay to live, she wouldn't make any money. This way she can burn her candle from both ends.