Who would have thought that the woman who deep fries mayonnaise could possibly have diabetes?
Deen addressed “rumors” about her health on the Today show this morning, saying that she wanted to show everyone that diabetes is not a death sentence. She refused to admit that her food plays any significant role in the disease, maintaining that it is all about “moderation,” something that she has “always” practiced despite the appearance of abundance on her cooking shows.
She skillfully demonstrated well-rehearsed aversion tactics when it comes to providing direct answers to Al Roker’s questions, and played her role as pharmaceutical shill to a “T.” She kept referring to Diabetes in a New Light, the promotional website of Novo Nordisk for their diabetes drug Victoza, for which Deen is now a paid spokesperson.
Later in the show, Deen and her sons showed us how to make “healthy” lasagna. Use half the amount of ground beef, by cutting it with a mixture of mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. Wow! SO MANY vegetables! Add a no-salt tomato sauce. Make a healthy cheese filling by replacing your ricotta with a reduced fat version and filling it out with fat free cottage cheese. Instead of 2 whole eggs, just use one egg and one egg white. Mix in some parmesan cheese. Layer cheese mixture with sauce, gruyere and mozzarella cheeses, and whole wheat pasta. Serve it with a chocolate sour cream bundt cake made healthier by smaller portions and fresh fruit. Oh- and don’t forget your Victoza!
So healthy OMG! Hmmm....
Problems, anyone?
According to Deen, diabetes is more the result of genetics, stress, overweight, and “lifestyle.” Diet is only a small part of the puzzle. She refused to make a connection to the quality of food, despite Al Roker’s insistence on getting an answer to this question. It is all about moderation.
Well, if Ms. Paula has always eaten in moderation and moderation is the key to health, then why was she ever fat? And, if the type of food you eat doesn’t have much bearing on health, why do you need to bother finding ways to make it “healthy” anyway?
All you need is drugs, dugs; drugs are all you need.
When asked why she waited 3 years to publicly reveal her disease, Deen said it was because she needed to learn about herself and figure out how to deal with it. Really, I think she waited because she needed the time to prepare for her spokesperson role. I noticed a while back that she had started to lose weight and I suspect this was not so much to improve her health as it was to present herself in a more healthful light and to reinforce the message that diabetes is beyond one’s control and that drugs are necessary to control it.
Finally, when confronted with the suggestion that she is promoting crappy food to the public, Deen responds, "Honey, I'm your cook, not your doctor. You are going to have to be responsible for yourself."
Ahhh... Personal responsibility- the mantra of those who get rich off of inflicting harm on others.
Maybe Ms. Deen should listen to her own advice and take some responsibility for her disease: admit that it is HER OWN FAULT.
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