Comments on: What is Paula Deen’s Responsibility?

By: AMELIA

AMELIA — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:29:03 +0000

I wrote a very similar article about this whole debacle –
http://eating-made-easy.com/2012/01/23/the-paula-deen-diabetes-debacle/

Many of the same viewpoints as yours!

By: KATE GEAGAN

KATE GEAGAN — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:36:19 +0000

I personally was disgusted by it-I think Paula is riding the train of what business in general has realized- that there is vast amounts of money to be made in providing hyper palatable food that overrides people’s natural mechanisms to compensate in any natural way; and then that there is equal large sums of money to be made in helping “solve” people’s problems through drug intervention (which is riddled with its own problems). Why share her diabetes publicly now? Because she has a financial interest in doing so. Michael Pollan has written about this extensively with regards to food companies and drug companies-Paula’s an astute business woman who has figured out how to profit yet on another tier from her unhealthy fare-to have her cake and eat it too, literally.

By: AMBER MASSEY RD, LD

AMBER MASSEY RD, LD — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:49:22 +0000

Amen, sister. I think that Paula has the potential to do some big things here with this announcement. Her charm and personality over the years can bring people to cook in her unhealthy ways, so how about she take her drug endorsment as an opportunity to begin to educate her huge fan base as a prime example for healthy change. It is halfway sickening to think that she has just now announced this after mum’s the word for 3 years. Thats three years of horribly ‘sinful’ foods going out of her kitchen and on to the tables of our overweight and obese population in America. While, yes, I definitly agree it is a single individual’s responsibility to make smart and healthy choices, but does that leave media icons, such as Paula Deen, to forget about their drastic impact on our society? I’m with Roberta.. here’s hoping she sets a GREAT example.

By: ROBERTA WENNIK

ROBERTA WENNIK — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Paula has a chance for a reincarnation if she wants it. Julia Child was the queen of butter in her time. However, she slowly changed her tone as she got older. She accepted that too much butter wasn’t good for you but that sometimes butter was a necessary ingredient in a dish to give it just the right flavor. Then there is Graham Kerr, the “Galloping Gourmet” who changed his way of cooking when his wife was diagnosed with heart disease. People still warmed to his cooking presenation style. And while not considered good for you at the time, his always having a glass of red wine to sip from while he cooked has been shown to be healthy. So Paula Deen can change and still be loved by her audience. It may not be the fat and sugar that people love about her recipes but her zeal for cooking that lhey love about her. Besides which, as spokesperson for a drug company that makes insulin, I would think they would like their spokesperson to set a good example. Here’s hoping she does.

By: CHOSEN FOODS

CHOSEN FOODS — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:15:00 +0000

The only thing that concerns me is that she has been quoted saying that while she’s going to create some diabetic friendly recipes, she will not be making any changes to the way she cooks. Its disappointing that she could have really taken the bull by the horns, owned the fact that her diet most likely contributed to this disease and really inspire people to get smarter about what they eat. I’d much rather seen her endorsing a “real food” or close to raw diet then endorse a drug!

By: FLEUR

FLEUR — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:37:19 +0000

@ Deborah Chase….I’m confused about your statement about complications and medications. Medication is about keeping blood sugars in a desirable range which absolutely does have an impact on complications related to diabetes. High blood sugars are very hard on both the eyes and the kidneys.

I think your statement is a little misleading. Certainly diet and healthy weight are important, but high blood sugars over time is the precipitating factor in many diabetes related complications….they just don’t happen due to a diet that is less than ideal or to someone who is obese, but might only have very slightly elevated blood sugars.

By: NICOLE

NICOLE — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:58:15 +0000

Great post – I wrote about this today on my blog. I think she does have a responsibility – she’s in the public eye, she has an audience, and it’s an opportunity for education.

By: GLWFOOD

GLWFOOD — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:39:54 +0000

A foodie, recipe and product developer, I am sad that an overweight woman who has
lived a life with fat, butter, bacon and desserts has been changed by money. Where is Paula’s integrity and honesty?
I have lived 45 years with Type 1 Diabetes. I was told at the age of 12 that I would live 10 years.
I was rebellious as a teenager but have spent me life eating healthy and helping consumers
eat healthy exercise frequently to live longer. I also have developed foods in the
food industry with my personal goal of development of honest healthy food with real ingredients and amazing flavor.

By: DEBORAH CHASE

DEBORAH CHASE — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:41:23 +0000

What a great post! I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 15 years ago and was horrified to see that Paula Deen is now a spokeperson for a diabetes medication. from Novo Nordisk. What were they thinking? Ms Deen, while warm and charming, is the poster child for unhealthy fat and suagr laden foods. And now while she back tracks a bit and says that these foods should not be eaten very day, she has kept silent for three years after her diagnosis and continued to offer these heart attack on a plate recipes in her books and on her shows. I would like to point out that no medication on earth can stop the devestating complications of diabetes unless you lose weight AND change eating habits. Paula Deen is doing both herself and her audience a great disservice with her current approach.

By: SHEREE VODICKA RD

SHEREE VODICKA RD — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:49:29 +0000

After reading in this morning’s paper that she’s known about this for three years and just announced this week her deal with a large pharma company to promote their diabetes drug, I’ve lost my appetite.