COMMENTARY | Good Morning America reports that food chef and Travel Channel host Anthony Bourdain took to Twitter to criticize Paula Deen. Bourdain is angry with Deen for coming out to tell America she has Type 2 diabetes, years after her initial diagnosis, while still hosting her fattening cooking shows on the Food Network. As an avid Food Network lover and a health conscious person, here is why Bourdain was wrong for criticizing Deen.
My father was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes when I was 14, so I have always been cautious of what I eat, since I could also develop diabetes. I watch Food Network all of the time, and often watch Deen, but I know these foods can cause health problems, such as diabetes. Deen did not come forward with her diabetes diagnosis sooner because she was uncertain how to proceed with her life, since it revolves around cooking. As a responsible adult, I am completely aware that certain foods can cause health problems, like all of the high-fat foods that Deen cooks on her show. Deen did not come forward until she had all of the information to make an informed decision about her personal health, which I find admirable. It would have been wrong for Deen to come out and talk about her diagnosis right off the bat, since she could not inform the public, and might give out erroneous information. At the end of the day, Deen does not owe the public any information into her personal health, whether Bourdain agrees or not.
Deen is not responsible for what other people do, and we all are responsible for our own actions, as well as what we choose to eat on a daily basis. If people eat the foods that Deen and a lot of other chefs cook, then there is always a risk of developing health problems because of it. The history between Bourdain and Deen goes way back, because he feels she is pushing unhealthy food on America, but his negative reaction was unwarranted. Since Deen has had a few years to learn and educate herself about diabetes, she can now talk to the public in an informative manner. Deen came out to talk about her diagnosis because she felt she could be more useful to the public, and offer insight into how cooking might have contributed to her diagnosis. Bourdain should be proud that Deen came out to tell people she has diabetes, because she is not the only chef out there that was hiding a personal health issue, and will not be the last.
Myself, Personal Opinion
Mikaela Conley, “Anthony Bourdain Slams Paula Deen for Diabetes-Drug Partnership”, Good Morning America