Paula Deen's fried image

I decided to weigh in so to speak about the whole Paula Deen controversy because I think it's getting out of hand and spreading to any celebrity chefs that aren't fit or who were heavy in the past. Paula Deen is human. She makes mistakes like everyone else. This one happens to be a big health mistake that she is making in public for everyone to scrutinize. Paula Deen is not a college educated woman so why would everyone be so judgmental with her being the be all and end all of food experts. She is just a woman who had a problem trying to raise her 2 children and did it using food. She is not a trained chef as far as I know and is basically a housewife that loves to feed people. She is not a role model or poster child on diabetes. If anyone takes 5 minutes to watch her show they will realize that she is overweight because of the food she cooks and her lifestyle. Nobody in their right mind watches the show and thinks I am going to make all that food and it's good for me. Pounds of butter and deep fried fats and sugar isn't good for you and you are living under a rock if you think it is. She makes indulgent food and you know it. That's what she is known for. You cook it at your own risk. I know fried chicken is bad for me but every once in a while I will have a craving for fried chicken and Paula shows you how to make it. So make it once a year but not every day.

Did anyone ever think that maybe Paula eats and cooks bad foods because of stress or depression? She does her shows and has been doing a book tour and is now doing a cruise. Maybe she is tired and weak and food is what comforts her or gets her through her day. She smokes too... but for a women of her age it was the norm to smoke and once you have been smoking for years it's becomes a habit and an addiction. It's not something that is easy to just stop in one day because a lot of your life habits are tied to it.

She was videotaped eating a hamburger and french fries. While that's not a great idea for any diabetic or anyone with health problems to do I bet Paula probably didn't think about it and just ate what she felt like eating not thinking that people are now watching everything she sticks in her mouth. How would you like it if people followed you around with video camera and then had a bunch of people critique it for how bad it is.

The fact that her publicist quit tells me that she isn't making the best choices and isn't listening to some of her people. I think Dr. Oz is trying to help her but if she doesn't listen to the advice he gives her then there isn't much he can do to help her.

As for the fact that she is now a paid spokesperson for a diabetes medication that may have been a business decision or in Paula's eyes a way to help other people but what she doesn't realize but I bet she soon will is that the choices you make in your lifestyle ie. food and exercise will help a whole lot more than a pill will. It's also ironic that her son is trying to make over some of her trademark recipes to be healthier. I suppose she isn't really switching over to his way of preparing them.

My guess is that Paula is operating out of fear and ignorance. She may be afraid of what will be if she changes the way she eats. Maybe she is afraid of failing. Maybe she eats and smokes out of the fear that she may lose her popularity and in turn income which would put her back to where she was many years ago.

Look at things through a Paula Deen filter and you may see why she has made some of these poor decisions. Like I said, she is not a role model, trained chef, doctor, nutritionist or other health expert. She is a woman who likes comfort food and likes to share it with people.

So before you just slam her think about what she has gone through and how she has survived the challenges in her life and you might understand her a bit more.

While I think being a paid spokesperson for any drug is always a bad idea for any celebrity. I would rather see a celebrity be a spokesperson for the Diabetes Association and raise funds for research and healthcare...not drug care. Invest or promote healthy food choices.

All I can say in the end is that I have been thin and I have been fat a good portion of my life and I know that if I had everyone scrutinize every piece of food I ate everyday I would probably go insane. So lay off the criticism and provide love and assistance and maybe a little education.

The media hungry North American public criticize you whether you are Paula Deen and eating a french fry or Demi Moore losing too much weight. It's the same thing...It's an eating disorder and sometimes you get to a point where you don't know how to make it stop... it's not about the weight usually it's about what has caused them to get that way.

I hope Paula turns all the bad press around and does the right thing but don't persecute her if she doesn't. She is just a butter loving old woman. Isn't she the grandma you always wanted? Think of her that way.