This past weekend, the anticipation of Paula Deen's BIG announcement reached a fever pitch. And now what we suspected has been confirmed. The celeb chef came out today with the news: She was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years ago, and she says, ever since, she's been taking better care of herself. And now, she's partnering with Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical company that makes a diabetes drug, to encourage other patients to take better care of themselves and see "Diabetes in a New Light." That's also the name of their diabetes awareness campaign.
Seems admirable overall, but I can't help but think there's something glaringly missing from Paula's "coming out" party.
Maybe for Paula, her love of sweet tea and all things lard and simple carb made her diagnosis close to inevitable, but that certainly doesn't have to be the case for many Americans who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every day. If she really wanted to spread diabetes awareness, she should have started with step one: Prevention. In her loooooong Southern-drawled spiel that appears on DiabetesinaNewLight.com, Paula doesn't once talk about what led to her diagnosis in the first place. Sure, she mentions how she's had to cut back on certain foods and exercise more, but how about addressing what people can do to safeguard their health in the first place?
Then again, now that she's a paid spokesperson for a drug company reliant on diabetes patients, why would she want to promote prevention? Big Pharma doesn't tend to be too interested in prevention, because if it caught on, that would be bad for business!
Don't get me wrong. Talking about managing a disease that's already impacted a huge percentage of this country is important, so good for Paula for stepping up to the plate to do that. But ignoring and failing to discuss a whole part of the picture is irresponsible.
Do you agree that by not acknowledging type 2 diabetes prevention, Paula's doing America a disservice?
Image via FoodNetwork.com
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Comments 32
Fact one: type two diabetes is genetically predisposed.
Fact two: correlation does not equal causation. There are fat diabetics, but not all fat people have diabetes. Nor are all type two diabetics fat. Many are skinny (including myself, I've been diagnosed since I was 12. I've maintained a weight of 125lbs since diagnosis. And I'm 5'7" for those wondering)
Fact thee: lard and animal fats has no effect on diabetes whatsoever. Fats are glucose blockers.
Fact four: diabetes is now seen as a disease that many will inevitably be diagnosed with despite what "preventative" measures they take. Those measures simply delay diagnosis.
Again, I'm a registered nutritionist, diabetes educator, and studying for a masters in dietetics in case anyone wants to doubt my credentials.
No. She is a woman who makes a living doing what she knows how to do. This is like saying you are doing America a disservice br writing about gossip when you should be writing educational articles. I would hope anyone that watches her does it for entertainment not for medical info, just like I hope anyone who reads this blog does so for entertainment and not as a source for facts and advice.
^^^So you are saying there is no prevention?
If she jumped off a bridge would you follow? Adults have to make their own Adult decisions.