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

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.

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.

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!

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 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".

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...

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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....