paula deenWhen celeb chef Anthony Bourdain came out bashing rival Paula Deen this past summer for being "the worst, most dangerous person to America," most of America came to the Southern-fried chef's defense. Even if you know it's hella bad for you, most of us LOVE to indulge in the kind of comfort food that Paula's known for peddling -- from mac 'n' cheese to red velvet cake. Even if only on a rare occasion. However, it's looking like Bourdain may have had a point about Deen's dangerous habits.

Buzz is swirling that Paula has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes ... and the latest is that she plans to sit down with TODAY's Al Roker on Tuesday in an exclusive interview to "address the rumors." Wuh-oh. We all know what talking to Al Roker means ... Seems like she's about to come clean to America, leaving us wondering ... could this signal the end of her career?!

Well, in the past, when she's gotten flak for advocating butter and fat-laden recipes, she's scoffed and said she cooks the way most families do in the U.S. ...  But now, she's going to have to look the country in the eye and say she was wrong. And are people going to turn their backs on her for that? Pfft ... no way!

Think of this way: She'll be the nuevo-Oprah! She's an example of so many other Americans, and in turn, this confession will make her 1000x more relatable to people -- especially those with a taste for fattier fare. Then, she'll make herself over in front of our very eyes.

Come on. Do we or do we not all love when we can figure out how to make brownies with 1/2 the fat and 100 percent of the original fudginess? How about learning "faux" frying methods -- you know, to do up some chicken that tastes just as crunchy and yum as fried, but it was baked? I could totally see Deen steering her cuisine in that direction, and we would eat it up ... literally. At the same time, she'd be teaching us all a lesson about overhauling our nutrition for disease prevention -- one Michelle Obama would undoubtedly approve of. Hey, maybe they can partner up! Wouldn't be the craziest thing now. 

Basically, Paula Deen's diabetes has put her in a position now to make even more of us love her and buy into her brand. And to inspire many Americans in the same position to turn their lives around, too. Looks like what could have been Paula's greatest health and career disaster is actually going to be a win-win ... for all of us.

How do you feel about Paula Deen? Do you think she'll be able to make the switch and set a good example for other Americans struggling with healthy eating?


Image via FoodNetwork.com