Paula Deen represents everything that is wrong with America

@ papastu...Couldnt agree more

Never seen her show, however I did stumble across a show recently w/ her son taking her meals and cutting all the calories down. Pretty cool way to bring the food into a healthier light while keeping the flavor true to what she expected. And seeing how the light 'clicked' when he showed her original calorie/fat count vs his. Makes you kinda hope she takes something away from it to help herself.

Shocked or whatever? .... because she is now taking money to become a spokesperson for treatment of a devastating disease that is caused by behaviors she's been promoting. Shocked or whatever? .... because she has led people over a cliff for years and now she gets to get paid for what? Shocked or whatever? .... because "moderation" when it comes to her style of cooking is a cynical joke.

I have been especially amazed by the lengths that news outlets have gone to, to blither that her cooking *was not* an important part of her diabetes. Doughnut cheeseburgers, for f**ks sake. Yes, the years of doughnut-based cooking contributed to her diabetes. Let's just all be reasonably intelligent grown-ups and own up to that simple and obvious fact, ok?

I certainly don't blame her for all obesity in America, but yeah, she helped.

I totally agree. I'm actually more surprised that so many people on a fitness/health-oriented web site are defending her cooking... No, she is not a bad person and she did not force food into everyone's mouths, but a lot of her recipes really take a certain style of cooking to its unhealthiest extreme.

I don't think farm workers ate cheeseburgers sandwiched in donuts, either. A good chunk of one side of my family runs small farms and they definitely get to eat more and not "dietetic" foods per se, because of the increased physical activity, but it's not crazy stuff like that.

I don't know, I have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer in my immediate family, and so do so many others, so this kind of thing strikes a chord. Far better to fight and do all you can to prevent these diseases as best as you can, than try to cure them later.

All of you that want to lose weight here on this site, blame the likes of Paula Deen for your condition? Good luck with that attitude.

If one can't see Paula's show for what is really is vs what blame you want to assign, then you have already lost your battle with weight.

WOW. I read the first post, clicked on the link, went through recipes and thought
"what to discuss this food is disgusting, who would even eat that..."

And then I saw the answers.

Seriously for me (I'm not from US haven't heard about her before) It's hard to believe one would even consider eating this, even PREPARING this. I couldn't without gaging. Donut with bacon? Really?

You say everything in moderation? Sorry but NO. NOT everything. NOT deep fried cake, NOT deep fried lasagna...

Many of us in the U.S. think they are super gross too, so don't worry

So many people so desperately seek gurus and gods. Then they're so disappointed when their gods let them down or turn out to have human failings, or, worse, are exposed as "frauds" or their gospel is trumped by that of the next rising deity. Hasn't anyone watched the Wizard of Oz? Knowledge is power, and these wacky(and non-wacky) chefs, diet docs, fitness gurus and backlash-hedonists all offer some knowledge or another. Empower yourself and act accordingly.

That said, in terms of health and nutrition (with exception of extreme excess) it's more about what you SHOULD do that is good than what you SHOULDN'T do. People talk about cutting out caffeine and alcohol, how bad x or y is for you, and vow to "cleanse" themselves of all the harm they've done with some or other guru's $nake oil. But the reality is that if you do eat cartloads of broccoli, kale and other cruciferous green veggies, blueberries, almonds, walnuts, lean protein, some whole grains etc. basically every day, and get a half hour of strenuous exercise 6 days a week and do enough strength training to keep your body in good shape. You can keep your morning coffee and your evening wine and have a bacon doughnut butter paula deen special every so often (though the truth is you probably won't want to) and it aint gonna do a damn thing to ya.

...oh my. I'm all for eating what you want and working it off or whatever and treating yourself but holy cow. A lot of that seems so unnecessary for me. Why do you need to add eight table spoons of sugar to a milkshake?????

To me the big thing is that for 2 or 3 years she has known about her condition - and that the eating she advocates adds to the risk of people getting diabetes - and keeps on showing the same shockingly unhealthy food.......hopefully not all her recipes are like this - my first thoughts - yuck - who on earth would actually want to eat this....(even as treat.....give me a lovely piece of cheesecake any time - but not fried in wonton wrappers and extra chocolate - oh and then wrapped in a cup of sugar!!)

Paula Deen fries cheesecake!! http://youtu.be/42oUVwyFsZI

Let's all blame Paula Deen for obesity in America. Of course they are unhealthy meals, but if we cook those meals and eat them why does that makes it her fault when we become overweight? I personally think it's a problem when we as a society are negatively affected by our own actions and decide to shift the blame on somebody else.

^ Amen.

Not from US and I don't know Paula Deen.

But I impressed with the number of people whom thinks its someone elses responsibilty. No wonder its always joke in my office... Lesson 101 on being rich - Go to US and start suing.
No offence.

I am with the other camp - stop whining and take responsibility for your own good pleaseeee

A few months ago I made a recipe of hers. It was amazing and lavish and full of fats. But I didn't die or get diabetes from eating that one dish.

It was crock pot mac n cheese btw

I do believe her food in unhealthy, but you can have it once a month or every other month or something. Its a special treat. You could probably cut out half the fat out of the recipes by using common sense (replacing the lard and butter and full fat cheese/creams with lower fat alternatives)

Moral: moderation is key. She isn't a bad person, just a chef who cooks unhealthy food

Agreed!!!

I tweak recipes. While my verdict is still out on Paula Deen, I do know that you (we) have the power to modify recipes. I tried a recipe for bean and oatmeal 'burgers' and didn't like it much so I tweaked it. I almost have it where EYE like it with no fat in the recipe or the cooking (non-stick cooking spray instead of 'fried' in olive oil) ... does it taste like the original recipe? NO! But that's not the point. The author is not in my kitchen and doesn't have to deal with my life or lifestyle.

We have the power to turn off the television, re-tweak recipes, and use common sense on what works for us.

deep fried lasagna! Hilarity.

So did we all land here on MFP because we ate Paula Deen's food for years being led by the bright lights and being mindwashed by her?

Well I didn't I ended up here because of years of unhealthy eating way before Paula Deen ever came on the scene. My finger securely points at me for endangering my health and well-being.

If I was to adopt every celebrities life-style that I have watched over the years, I would be a drunken sot, snorting lines of cocaine but I would be WINNING! Thank you Charlie Sheen for that. I love Charlie Sheen's show (2 and half Men), so should I have grabbed a bunch of ho's and took every drug possible because I was a follower of a TV show? I think not. So lets see, the similiarites, Paula Deen hosts a TV show and while I make some of her less outrageous dishes, she is in no way responsible for the body that I am now living in. I AM! I snuck thru the drive-thru and had a 800 calorie Whopper and then came home and fixed a full 5-course meal and ate like I hadnt eaten in days.

And what are we doing, we of all people are passing judgement on someone else's lifestyle when we have had to endure that for our entire life. I would think we would be more sympathetic. If not, let's drag every celebrity out here and see if we have been influenced by them to do things such as drinking, smoking, doping, commiting suicide, etc. I'm sorry but I feel sympathy for her and her family. Yes she knew what she was doing was endangering her health and yes I know what I did endangered mine. I'm taking responsibility for my actions and she'll have to do the same. I just cant comprehend a group of fat now or once fat group such as ourselves judging another's actions. I've been judged all my life and it did nothing to help me to overcome my faults.

Actually I'm just fed up with all the negativity about her or anyone else. I am choosing to change my life for the positive.

So did we all land here on MFP because we ate Paula Deen's food for years being led by the bright lights and being mindwashed by her?

Well I didn't I ended up here because of years of unhealthy eating way before Paula Deen ever came on the scene. My finger securely points at me for endangering my health and well-being.

If I was to adopt every celebrities life-style that I have watched over the years, I would be a drunken sot, snorting lines of cocaine but I would be WINNING! Thank you Charlie Sheen for that. I love Charlie Sheen's show (2 and half Men), so should I have grabbed a bunch of ho's and took every drug possible because I was a follower of a TV show? I think not. So lets see, the similiarites, Paula Deen hosts a TV show and while I make some of her less outrageous dishes, she is in no way responsible for the body that I am now living in. I AM! I snuck thru the drive-thru and had a 800 calorie Whopper and then came home and fixed a full 5-course meal and ate like I hadnt eaten in days.

And what are we doing, we of all people are passing judgement on someone else's lifestyle when we have had to endure that for our entire life. I would think we would be more sympathetic. If not, let's drag every celebrity out here and see if we have been influenced by them to do things such as drinking, smoking, doping, commiting suicide, etc. I'm sorry but I feel sympathy for her and her family. Yes she knew what she was doing was endangering her health and yes I know what I did endangered mine. I'm taking responsibility for my actions and she'll have to do the same. I just cant comprehend a group of fat now or once fat group such as ourselves judging another's actions. I've been judged all my life and it did nothing to help me to overcome my faults.

Actually I'm just fed up with all the negativity about her or anyone else. I am choosing to change my life for the positive.

AMEN!

This Video Below is hilarious - but also a must see. Just an example of why people are upset about this Paula Deen issue. For three years she knew she had this disease yet promoted "bad habits" like this. She was doing herself an injustice by eating this type of food. Its sad, because diabetes is a very serious issue. When you can take a big bite out of a doughnut egg bacon burger its like your saying "F" my life....

#justonegirlsopinion


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1PsDyhNFBI

(didn't read the article, this maybe included already)

That video is fantastic.

Shocked or whatever? .... because she is now taking money to become a spokesperson for treatment of a devastating disease that is caused by behaviors she's been promoting. Shocked or whatever? .... because she has led people over a cliff for years and now she gets to get paid for what? Shocked or whatever? .... because "moderation" when it comes to her style of cooking is a cynical joke.

This is just as bad as suing a fast food place because you are fat. She didn't make anyone cook her food just as mcdonalds doesn't make you eat their burgers. what you put in your mouth is YOUR decision , how you cook your food is YOUR decision not anyone else's. You can take any recipe and make it more healthy, it may not taste as delicious but it is your choice how you cook it. It's her life and her decision what she does with it.