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

_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.

How abut people stop expecting the rest of the world to change for us.She has a right to cook and eat how ever she freaking wants. She never claimed her crap was healthy,and if people choose to eat it every day that is their choice and their responsibilty not hers.People are harming themselves with their own laziness, I cant remeber the last time she forced her Fat sugar or starch on anyone. I havent heard stories about her sitting on peoples chests forcing food into their mouths?

I'm a mostly whole-food vegan, who has mostly gotten the fat-sugar-refined-flour monster off her back. But, that said, we need to start promoting health in this country, or anyone under the age of 40 is going to be working to support the baby boomer demographic (which I belong to), when they start falling apart.

beatleschic87

I mean does this really come as a shock to anyone? Look at her recipies... coconut crusted chicken fingers, baked spaghetti, beef mac and cheese, chili and waffles... sounds delicious but definitely NOT healthy. It makes my heart burn just thinking about it. But she doesn't need to tell people it's bad for them. You should know that already. The fact that she had diabetes and didn't tell anyone? That's up to her. Is she a danger to America? As long as American's wanna stuff their faces with fat and sugar, she'll help em out. But honestly it's no different than seeing a fast food commercial, or passing a 10 donut shops on my way to work. You can choose what you eat. If you wanna live longer, don't eat what Paula Deen is cookin.

Grokette

I didn't see her on the Today Show, but I did read an article about her diabetes diagnosis. I think Paula Deen is trying to protect her brand. I've never been a Paula Deen fan, but I respect her right to choose her own approach in handling this issue.

I believe it would've been more socially responsible to reveal the diagnosis earlier and use her celebrity status as a platform to promote healthier choices. But it doesn't appear that's her priority.

She is being bamboozled into this by the Big Pharma companies throwing $$$$ at her.

It is sad she is just going to let them make her sicker and she is going to live and die a slow and painful death.

I know from experience watching my grandmother die a slow and agonizing death. Even though my Dad, aunt and uncles told her that she needed to watch her carb intake.

She would always say...........The ADA meetings I attend said I can have whatever I want, just take an extra pill and an extra shot to control the insulin. They were out right lying to my grandmother, despite what her children advised her..........

She ended up having multiple amputations and we watched her die slowly and painfully. I refuse to let that be me.

Too bad Paula Dean is going to end up dying slowly and painfully too.

sweet_lotus

I think this is really interesting because I grew up visiting my Southern relatives and eating a lot of the type of food that she makes.

In the 1800s and early to mid 1900s the South was largely agricultural. My family were farmers for many years and farmwork is some of the most difficult physical labor you can do. (Think a shred is hard? Try carrying hay bales on your back across acres of pasture all morning...) They needed the carbs, fat and calories do what they had to do their 8-12 hours on the farm - although the portions were smaller back in the day. And the food they made was what was available to them on their farms and dry goods stores - supermarkets are relatively new in terms of historical food culture. The basis for meals were butter and shortening, flour, eggs, ham or chicken (all of the parts) and whatever fruits and vegetables they grew and canned. A lot of the older generation worked heavy physical labor into their 60s and 70s on these diets and were not overweight or diabetic.

So that tradition of food is no longer relevant in most cases. And a lot of the newer Southern cooking is modified to take into account more sedentary lifestyles. But I always liked that Paula Deen's cooking was, for the most part, authentic.

Most people are aware that diets high in saturated fat and calories are linked to obesity, and that obesity is strongly associated with diabetes. If anything Paula Deen's story is typical of most of her generation - holding on to food tradition without the high labor energy needs of her parent's and grandparent's generation. Her choice to not change her lifestyle isn't surprising, nor do I think she has a responsibility as a role model to respond to her health in a certain way.

wolf23

Paula Deen is about one thing and one thing only and that is making money. It is not her responsibility to educate the public or disclose her health issues. She is making a living and whether you like the way she does it or not, I really doubt she is losing sleep over it.

Shanna_Inc86

I can't stand Paula Deen, I think her cooking is disgusting and the fact she's affiliated with smithfield foods makes me even more disgusted.

LJGmom

I think Paula is great. She can cook and eat how she chooses. She will and s paying the consequence of her actions, just like anyone who CHOOSES To cook her food. I know thin people with type 2 diabetes as well as fat, so some of it is genetic or whatever.

Mixmode

Butter 4 Lyfe y0!

FearAnLoathing

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.

How abut people stop expecting the rest of the world to change for us.She has a right to cook and eat how ever she freaking wants. She never claimed her crap was healthy,and if people choose to eat it every day that is their choice and their responsibilty not hers.People are harming themselves with their own laziness, I cant remeber the last time she forced her Fat sugar or starch on anyone. I havent heard stories about her sitting on peoples chests forcing food into their mouths?

I'm a mostly whole-food vegan, who has mostly gotten the fat-sugar-refined-flour monster off her back. But, that said, we need to start promoting health in this country, or anyone under the age of 40 is going to be working to support the baby boomer demographic (which I belong to), when they start falling apart.

I was refering to the majority of the population,she has no "sins" to atone for. People can make up their own minds if she choses to cook the way she does and eat it thats her choice her right,if others choose to watch her,buy her products and eat the way she does it is also their choice their life. We live in a society of celebertiy worship its not the celebertiys fault its the fault of the person to weak minded to think for themselves

AlexTrumpeter

This is America, land of the free. Each person is entitled to his/her own opinion and life style. No one is forcing us to be on this site. No one forced me to eat enough food to once weight 330 lbs. As she said, "moderation" is key. I don't personally agree with her pharmaceutical company endorsement; however, when she says "she won't change the way she cooks," we must realize that this is partially that company speaking along with her desire to keep her own cooking shows afloat. It is good that she advocated seeing your Doctor and get checked. There are many people who eat whatever they want, and may even be at a healthy weight, that come down with Diabetes. My friends grandmother is in her 80's and was just diagnosed. Prior to her diagnosis, she ran five miles a day and did 100 situp and pushups. She cannot exercise as much now because of poor circulation, but she was generally healthy before her diagnosis...one should always see his/her Dr. and get checked regularly.

I think a worse crime is the government letting the youth eat pizza and french fries as a school lunch. Paula Dean is a private entity; however, school lunches receive federal funding.

Jeff92se

Paula has a great show that's based around TASTE, not low calorie or whatever.

She seems to be a great lady doing what she loves.

There's a reason why she is even mentioned at all. Because alot of people watch her show.

beatleschic87

This is America, land of the free. Each person is entitled to his/her own opinion and life style. No one is forcing us to be on this site. No one forced me to eat enough food to once weight 330 lbs. As she said, "moderation" is key. I don't personally agree with her pharmaceutical company endorsement; however, when she says "she won't change the way she cooks," we must realize that this is partially that company speaking along with her desire to keep her own cooking shows afloat. It is good that she advocated seeing your Doctor and get checked. There are many people who eat whatever they want, and may even be at a healthy weight, that come down with Diabetes. My friends grandmother is in her 80's and was just diagnosed. Prior to her diagnosis, she ran five miles a day and did 100 situp and pushups. She cannot exercise as much now because of poor circulation, but she was generally healthy before her diagnosis...one should always see his/her Dr. and get checked regularly.

I think a worse crime is the government letting the youth eat pizza and french fries as a school lunch. Paula Dean is a private entity; however, school lunches receive federal funding.

Land of the free... home of the fat

Fit4_Life

I don't watch her show. Nor did I ever watch that so-called thief of a woman Martha Stewart either. I will NEVER sponsor or buy Martha Stewart and her kitchen *kitten*.

bhalter

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.

^ This. I love Paula Deen. When I was laid up on the couch after my foot surgery in college, I watched her show every single day. I own her memoir. I absolutely adore her. But in the 6+ years I've been a fan of hers, I've made exactly one dish: her Savannah Fudge cake for my mom's birthday. I think people try to use public figures as a scapegoat for their own personal decisions and life choices. If I wind up in jail this weekend after a drinking binge, the judge isn't going to accept "Well, I learned it from Tara Reid and Lindsay Lohan."

This is her job, she's said in interviews that the food she cooks on her show is not how she eats 24/7, and even if it was, that's her life choice and her having diabetes is the consequence of it. I don't feel she was "keeping it a secret" - how many people are going to broadcast every health woe they have to their entire circle of family and friends? Not me. She does not have an obligation to keep the public informed about her health and if people are dumb enough to think that her meals are healthy and that's all they should eat, well...there's no cure for stupidity.

Barneystinson

Her cooking wasn't ever meant to be healthy.

If you want to "eat for taste" and be overweight with T2 diabetes, knock yourself the hell out.

Jeff92se

Her cooking wasn't ever meant to be healthy.

If you want to "eat for taste" and be overweight with T2 diabetes, knock yourself the hell out.

I happen to eat for taste when my calorie counts allow for it. My health is excellent.

skinnywithin

How abut people stop expecting the rest of the world to change for us.She has a right to cook and eat how ever she freaking wants. She never claimed her crap was healthy,and if people choose to eat it every day that is their choice and their responsibilty not hers.People are harming themselves with their own laziness, I cant remeber the last time she forced her Fat sugar or starch on anyone. I havent heard stories about her sitting on peoples chests forcing food into their mouths?

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

LOVE THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

cdusanka

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 just watched the clip. I don't think there's anything wrong with what Paula Deen is doing, or the fact that she kept her diagnosis from the public for three years. Quite frankly, it's none of our business what her health is...or what anybody's health is...except our own. I watch her show on the Food Network because her cooking gives me idea's on flavour combinations, and I love her attitude and interaction with her son's. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes while I was pregnant, and I think that's a total money grab with an outdated testing system. I did a lot of research on GDM, and diagnosis techniques need to change, but "Pharma" makes too much money on it! I had my baby, and magically the diabetes disappeared, just like my doctor said it would! BOGUS!!!I could rant for days on this!

Anyway, I would challenge Paula to advocate for new testing/diagnosis techniques...since she now has a relationship with "Pharma" and has spoken out publicly about her diagnosis.

easuess

I couldn't agree more. Irresponsible is the best word for it.

stefchica

she just cooks the way she was raised to cook and she continued to do that because her main audience is, face it, the south! look at that diet and thats what she caters too, all her dishes are southern based dishes. Now over the years she's started to introduce more foods from different cultures and thats good, but she's alwyas cooked and has always believed in "fat=flavor" and yea lots of her dishes are fatty based and bad for you but PEOPLE CAN MODIFY WHAT SHE'S MAKING! and people do that nowadays. ive made some of her recipes BUT i adjust them to my way of cooking and hey..EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE i might give in to her butter and fried and crap food but its not an everyday thing. and she's even said on her show what she cooks, what they eat isnt something she eats everyday!! she's said that and, nots ure how many of you have followed her over the years, but she's ALWAYS cooked this way..its never changed because its how she is. no one is telling everyone to do it exactly her way its just her dishes and how SHE cooks them. and hey, she has diabetes not from just her diet, its her lifestyle and that has brough her to this point unless this is some other underlying medical cause but hey, now she's paying the consequences and WE'VE ALL KNOWN that a bad diet, lifestyle and family history can bring about diabetes.

rml_16

The pharmaceutical industry has corrupted just about every American institution.

Everybody and their kids are on some kind of medication.

It's insane!

Not everybody.

kellybug123

My first thought? Paula Deen has diabetes? WHA?! SHUT THA FRONT DOOR!!!! Btw......my thoughts are a teeny bit more sarcastic than what falls out of my mouth....lol.

_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.

How abut people stop expecting the rest of the world to change for us.She has a right to cook and eat how ever she freaking wants. She never claimed her crap was healthy,and if people choose to eat it every day that is their choice and their responsibilty not hers.People are harming themselves with their own laziness, I cant remeber the last time she forced her Fat sugar or starch on anyone. I havent heard stories about her sitting on peoples chests forcing food into their mouths?

I'm a mostly whole-food vegan, who has mostly gotten the fat-sugar-refined-flour monster off her back. But, that said, we need to start promoting health in this country, or anyone under the age of 40 is going to be working to support the baby boomer demographic (which I belong to), when they start falling apart.

I was refering to the majority of the population,she has no "sins" to atone for. People can make up their own minds if she choses to cook the way she does and eat it thats her choice her right,if others choose to watch her,buy her products and eat the way she does it is also their choice their life. We live in a society of celebertiy worship its not the celebertiys fault its the fault of the person to weak minded to think for themselves

I am not talking about taking away 1st amendment rights to free speech, but I am talking about trying to shape up a society that is on a collective binge. I was using the term 'sin' in a figurative sense, but I can see that you didn't read it that way. It may be a generational thing, but Paula Deen being of my generation, looks like she's whoring for dollars, and doesn't care one whit about anyone. She doesn't even eat her own..ahem...creations. But fine, let everyone think that Paula Deen cooking is the norm. And let everyone need coronary bypass surgery. We are all subject to societal norms, and it takes a strong person to break free.

SammyPacks

When she says her recipes on her show and talks about two sticks of butter in one recipe I cringe... she just is an unhealthy cooker, but a damn good one. People want to cook to make people say MMM or enjoy what they made. I think it's fine of her... she didn't force people to get diabetes from her food. I've cooked one of her things back in the days... ITS AMAZING, just people need to learn for themselves that you can't eat like that all the time.

Jeff92se

You are free to try to make a succesful food show about eating carrots and lettuce all the time.

kdiamond

I like her, I think she's funny, I've made a couple of her recipes for special occasions but that's it.

I notice she did say she only recommends eating that way (the way she cooks) in moderation. They probably told her to say that.

Emeril and Mario Batali, along with many other chefs, are fat and unhealthy too, but we don't ridicule them...you don't have to eat or cook that way, it's just another form of entertainment. I watch Jersey Shore but I don't drink to excess every day and sleep with numerous guys either!

vellacraptor

My friend's cousin works at a store she goes to.
He said that she went looking for insecticide and found the only dented can out of like 20 on the shelf, then asked for a discount on it lol. Who does that? I mean sure if you REALLY need to save money, but come on.

I dunno, from stories I've heard, she's not all that pleasant. Not straight up rude, but not a nice person.

As for her cooking...it's the south. EVERYONE cooks that way here, so yeah can't complain. Sometimes it's fun to watch but most times I just get grossed out. xD

gorgeouss9

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 think she was a bit rude to AL.. she came across as acting as if it's no big deal and that the Media better not go crazy over it. I think it's sad that all of a sudden she's coming out about her Diabetes AND coming out with new Drugs to combat it. I never liked her food, to me she was always just entertaining. I think I tried her cobbler once and it was extremely sweet! It's also funny that she now cooking her food to be more "healthier", after years of her shows with headlines that scream BUTTER, SOUR CREAM, MAYO, etc.

SassyCalyGirl

you can't blame Paula for your choices!

lecox444

She's not a role model, she's a TV personality. If we consumers are looking to people like her as role models, then there is a larger societal problem.

She waited 3 years to come fourth... that's her business. It is, however, fairly clear that she was not only figuring out how she personally wanted to declare her diagnosis but how she wanted to declare her diagnosis professionally. She chose to make money of of her diagnosis so she's staying fairly try to who she claims to be. She's out there to be a TV personality and make money. She has never claimed to have any responsibility for her ways. How truly American... go Paula!