Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel show Bizarre Foods, says Food Network star Paula Deen's decision to hide her diabetes for over three years while continuing to peddle her artery-clogging recipes was in poor taste.
In an interview on Anderson Cooper's talk show, Zimmern, 50, says Deen's decision to not disclose her Type 2 diabetes while encouraging viewers to continue eating her sugary, fatty, artery-clogging recipes was irresponsible.
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"I famously came out last year against a whole bunch of cooks -- not just Paula -- and what they cook and what they stand for," says Andrew, who previously commented that people on food television "all sold our souls at some point."
Zimmern says he takes his role as a public figure seriously. "I have a tremendous platform and responsibility to talk to people about these issues about sustainability and about health and wellness when it comes to food," he says.
"I think it became a much more personal thing when [Paula] found out she had diabetes," says Zimmern.
"Personally, I change my diet every single time that I find something new. I famously tasted shark fin soup many, many years ago before we understood exactly what was going on with the harvesting of sharks.
I've consequently come out against it. I make personal choices in my life and stand behind them. I am very much a person who likes to change with the times. Education is what it is all about."
Deen, 65, has been widely criticized for revealing she has had Type 2 diabetes since 2008 on the same day she announced a lucrative contract to endorse a diabetes drug manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
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Paula, whose signature burger is made with bacon, beef and a fried egg sandwiched between two donuts, insisted she didn't keep her diabetes a secret for fear of hurting her career or book sales.
But observers aren't convinced.
"We can look forward to People or Us magazine running the cover story, 'I'm back!' usual rehab story," says Bourdain. "Clearly this has been coming for a while.
"She's been looking for ways to position herself. Is she really going to be selling the cure now? Or will she back off for a decent interval? I take no pleasure in it. There ain't nothing funny about diabetes."
He adds: "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. How long has she known? I suspect a very long time."
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