Paula Deen Reveals Diabetes Amid Harsh Reactions

Paula Deen, the celebrity chef most famous for calorie-heavy comfort food, announced Tuesday that she has Type 2 diabetes, fueling reactions that question her responsibility for endangering ordinary Americans who fight the disease and other food-related conditions. "I've always said, 'Practice moderation, y'all.' I'll probably say that a little louder now," Deen said on NBC's Today show. "You can have diabetes and have a piece of cake. You cannot have diabetes and eat a whole cake."

Deen, 65, made the announcement three years after first learning of her diagnosis while endorsing a diabetes drug for a Danish company — a coincidence that has not escaped the notice of her staunchest critics. "Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later," Travel Channel host Anthony Bourdain, who has long been opposed to Deen's southern style cooking, tweeted, apparently in reference to the news. "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 in bad taste if nothing else," he told Eater.com.

But Deen said she isn't going to change her signature style of cooking now, although she has decided to give up one of the staples of her Savannah, Georgia, upbringing: sweet tea. “That’s a big trick for a little Southern girl,” Deen told Today. “I calculated how much sugar I drank in empty calories, and it was staggering.”

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