Celebrity chef Paul Deen has come out and stated that she received a large negative reaction from fans and fellow chefs after she declared that she has type II diabetes.
Deen, who is known as the queen of southern cooking, uses high calorie recipes to satisfy her fans. But it is the manner in which she offers the belt busting dishes coupled with her message of healthy eating that have some perplexed.
"I am who I am," she told AP, "but what I will be doing is offering up lighter versions of my recipes."
"I've always encouraged moderation," Deen said. "People see me cooking all these wonderful, Southern; fattening recipes... it's for entertainment. People have to be responsible."
However, it is not just her cooking that has some crying foul it is the way her announcement came about.
Deen explained that she had been battling the disease for almost three years, but only recently came out and shared it with her fans. She also made the announcement shortly after declaring that she is a paid endorser of a new diabetes medicine.
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Deen also added that she is giving a portion of the compensation she receives, for endorsing the diabetes medicine, to the American Diabetes Association.
"I feel like God has given me a blessing, because my mother and daddy died very young," she said. "I'm so proud that I lived long enough…to deal with something like this."
The condition, linked to obesity, is a result of genetic factors and lifestyle choices. It can be managed by making lifestyle changes, such as exercising more and eating healthier.
Fellow celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain told Eater.com: "When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you've been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you've got type-2 diabetes, it's bad taste if nothing else."
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