I love Paula Deen for her happy uplifting nature. I know she has always done "southern cooking" and that generally consists of lots of butter, bacon grease, sugar and etc. She is a southern girl and has eatten that way for her entire life.
I know that when my own mother was diagnosed with Diabetes, she waited several years to let anyone know and I can see why. Once people know you have this disease, everyone becomes your food critic and feels that they have to police every item you eat, even though they are going to go ahead and eat the things they are trying to restrict you from.
Give Miss Paula Deen a break. It will take her some time to change her southern ways. She can do it. :)
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I have been trying to educate my father on healthy eating as he just went through a quadruple coronary bypass and still has yet to undergo a carotidectomy (90% blockage). So, to your point that people's definition of "moderation" can be miles apart, here is the difference in my dad's perspective and my perspective on moderation with regard to dessert.
Dad feels that having sugar free cookies or low fat ice cream or fruit cocktail from a can for dessert at every meal is moderation. Every meal... I guess that is somewhere between 14 and 21 desserts a week (not sure whether or not to include breakfast).
I think that moderation is having dessert no more than 3x a week.
For My Bariatric Life, I don't even have dessert as often as that. I figure I have eaten enough donuts to last me a lifetime.
Let someone else have them. 
Instead, I enjoy fresh fruit (organic when possible) 1-2x/day, and when I am craving something really sweet, I might have somethings like: one of my gourmet protein drinks, or Greek Yogurt with honey, or an ounce of dark chocolate.
And occassionally I will have healthy desserts. My definition of healthy desserts are that they are "made from scratch" and grain-free and made from "real" products (real as in butter not I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and organic cream not fat-free milk).
Although it is rare, I will have a small serving of a decadent dessert made with "real" ingredients from time to time. My favorite restaurant has a date mamoul to die for.
Yes, Dad and I are miles apart in our definition of moderation. I wonder what Paula Deen's definition of moderation is? Hmmm...
LOVE THIS!!!!
And so, so "to point!!"
That's my problem with th word "moderation" - it is so, so non-specific - and based on each person's circumstance, denial levels, "addiction or not" to food, etc. - they will find thier OWN moderate stance. Trouble is that by the time you get actually diagnosed with disease, me-thinks "moderation" HAS to be defined by a health expert like a dietician, nutritionist or doctor who understands your diagnosis and needs and who can then offer you your own personal "moderation parameters" to follow. And something tells me that most times it will be miles away from what you thought was moderation.
Touche to your post!!I hope your dad continues to "evolve" and understand that his moderation needs some tweaking!
I plan to post a blog on people's definitions of "moderation"- so stay tuned!
Readers - please feel free to post your definition here!
Paula Deen may say moderation but she clearly doesn't practice this based upon her obvious obesity. You are right that moderation and portion control may have different meanings to different people. Maybe I am mistaken, Deen does practice moderation, and as a result she isn't 100 lbs heavier than her current weight. I think not. She has taken no responsibility for modifying one of her major risk factors which is her weight. There used to be an old saying that you shouldn't trust a skinny cook. That needs to be changed to you shouldn't trust an unhealthy cook! Novo Nordisk needs to find another front woman for representing their company to the diabetic public and public at large...do i smell a change.org petition?
Paula Deen may say moderation but she clearly doesn't practice this based upon her obvious obesity. You are right that moderation and portion control may have different meanings to different people. Maybe I am mistaken, Deen does practice moderation, and as a result she isn't 100 lbs heavier than her current weight. I think not. She has taken no responsibility for modifying one of her major risk factors which is her weight. There used to be an old saying that you shouldn't trust a skinny cook. That needs to be changed to you shouldn't trust an unhealthy cook! Novo Nordisk needs to find another front woman for representing their company to the diabetic public and public at large...do i smell a change.org petition?
Interestingly, her PR/Brand agent resigned in the last few days. If the news outlets have it correct, it appears that this woman did not agree with the partnership with the drug comapny - they are not clear on the specifics. It may be that The PR agent agrees with you or it may be quite the opposite - that she feels Paula Deen is the face of southern cooking and that trying to bring "light cooking" and diabetes care into the formula is a brand disaster. So I can't for sure assume it is "consumer concern" that motivated the break up. I do think it is interesting news.
Needless to say Dr. Nancy Snyderman from Today and Dr. Mark Hyman, a high profile alternative medicine practitioner have both made strong statements to the effect that Ms. Deen needs to "clearly recognize" that whether her consumption was moderate - alot- or somewhere in between - the lifestyle choices SHE was making, raised her risk of developing diabetes and ultimately helped the disease expression. I certainly know obese individuals who manage to thwart disease despite their horrible lifestyle choices - that's when genetics and other physiological factros we probably still don't fully understand thwart lifestyle Most of us simply don't "luck out" and so we do need to be choosy with our food choices and calorie counts and move sufficinetly every day to create energy balance so that we don't experience weight creep and significant weight gain. We also need to make better food choices because that habit alone supports a better health profile.
I also know that individuals who are very motivated may still have to take medication but many, through lifestyle modification, are often able to reduce and even stop taking medication when weight loss occurs. Of course, they need to really understand "moderation" in order to achieve that goal!!
I think this discussion will go on for awhile yet.