Chef announces Type 2 diabetes

Paula Deen recently announced that she has been keeping a secret, and surprisingly, it is not a recipe.

Deen announced Jan. 17 she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and had kept it under wraps for more than three years. For some, the announcement was not too much of a shock, given that Deen's recipes feature butter and sugar galore. While her treats are full of tastiness, they lack healthiness, and some dishes would make nutritionists cringe.

Since her announcement, Deen said that she will promote "lighter" recipes and will endorse the diabetes medication. Her decision to come clean has come under scrutiny from the media and even her publicist, who quit after disagreeing with Deen's decision to endorse the medication.

While we believe that changing her recipes and making foods lower in sugar and fat content are a great first steps in promoting healthier food, we also believe that Deen was deceptive in hiding her condition from the public.

Deen's diabetes diagnosis may not have directly come from her delicious dishes, but her recipes are not the healthiest. Failing to disclose her diagnosis and then promoting foods high in sugar could potentially affect those using her recipes.

We believe Deen could have been a better spokesperson for diabetes had she told of her diagnosis when it happened three years ago. Instead of continuing to create unhealthy dishes, Deen could have promoted moderation and living a healthy lifestyle. 

Her job is to make foods that taste great, but we believe that there are ways to make foods both healthy and tasty.

We feel as if Deen should attempt to warn people of the dangers of eating foods that are high in sugar and fats even if her past cookbooks are filled with those foods. Her fans and the well being of others should come before selling cookbooks. If the concern that she has shown since announcing her diagnosis was genuine, we feel as if she should have made the announcement three years ago.

Even with her "lighter" recipes, we feel Deen should also promote exercise and healthy living. Rumors have surfaced that Deen is wanted for the next season of Dancing with the Stars, which would be a great opportunity for her to promote exercise. Deen could help regain her audience and develop a new audience by changing the way she lives and focusing on being healthy.