Paula Dean Exemplifies the Problems with Healthcare in the U.S.
Not surprisingly, Paula Dean has Type II Diabetes. The woman famous for her unhealthy “cuisine” developed a life threatening, preventable condition that results solely from an unhealthy diet. She is not the first celebrity chef to be overweight or suffer health consequences. But she has garnered a healthy amount of criticism, deservedly. First, she knew she had Type II Diabetes but continued to cook on her show and sell books trumpeting the lifestyle that endangered her life. Second, she delayed announcing her condition until she secured a lucrative deal endorsing the prescription medication she takes to “manage” her diabetes. The reaction to the disease is worse than the cause. Like many Americans, Dean is a devout believer in pharmaceuticals. Health is not a product of lifestyle and any consequence can be managed with medication. True, medication is necessary. I do not want to sound like Tom Cruise suggesting women exercise to get over post partum depression. But Dean and millions of others trivialize lifestyle choices in favor of pills. She could take the opportunity to inspire diet modified and exercise. Instead, she’s paid to push a pill.
The healing power of diet is under publicized. Last week I posted a Ted Talk about a woman that corrected her debilitating MS with diet and nutrition. And this week, I watched the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It is AMAZING and shows the power of diet to treat and cure disease. But you won’t hear that message from the Food Network Star. Her food is disgusting. Her example is immoral.
