I “heart” Paula Deen. No, actually, I like her very much (“heart” to me indicates a less than, rather than an equal to or more than). She seems to be that salt of the earth, “hail fellow, well met,” inquiring, never met a stranger and interested in the people around her and in their world type of person that is truly rare. In that way, I will admit, she reminds me of my mother.

She lost her parents when she’d just gotten out of high school and married a man that gave her two beautiful, intelligent sons and a world of heartache. She spent many years imprisoned in her own home by her growing agoraphobia, but went on to start a food business with $200 and a plan. That tiny investment and the dream developed into a lucrative, colorful, widespread business empire that includes: several television shows; a movie part; cookbooks; a line of cookware; a series of magazines, including those from her sons; food, spices and coffee; a partnership with mega-telemarketer QVC and a line of furniture. What a great $200 investment!

The small town Georgia girl made good. And made it good for many people, never forgetting those who stood by her during her struggles. Eventually, she found love and happiness in her personal life and so the fairy tale continues.

Fate being the fickle #*&$@ that it is, suddenly, the woman who was once touted as the Queen of Southern Cooking is now a pariah. Anthony Bourdain, who hosts Travel Channel’s “No Reservations,” angered some last year when he publicly denounced Paula as “the worst, most dangerous person in America” because of her high-fat cooking. For those not familiar with his show, he travels the world and samples a variety of local cuisines, including live octopus, pig knuckles, boiled calves head, guinea pig and, while in Namibia, partakes of “the rectum of a recentlykilled warthog prepared by local Bushmen.”

Paula Deen does not make anyone eat her food any more than Bourdain does. But she’s the most dangerous woman in America? I would think that title would be reserved for Lady Gaga or Madonna (Please, hold the emails—it’s a joke!) (maybe).

Recently, she came out on national television, confirming a rumor that has been going around for a while. Yes, she has adult onset, Type II, diabetes. This is usually reserved for folks in their 50s and 60s, who have put on a little weight with the passing years. It often runs in families and can sometimes be controlled with diet and exercise. Everyone is acting surprised Paula, who once declared, “I’m your cook, not your doctor!” is a diabetic. Or they sit back and smugly say “I told you so.”

Paula has admitted several times on her shows that she does not eat the food she cooks on her shows everyday. She knows that would not be smart. But, overall, she cooks the way her mother, her grandmother, her aunt did—not unlike our mothers, grandmothers and aunts did, also. Comfort food to the utmost level.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the chief medical editor and presenter on the Today show, absolutely lambasted Paula the day after her admission. “Her behavior was egregious.” She goes on to accuse Paula of blaming her genetics, rather than taking responsibility for her condition as a result of her cooking high fat, high sugar foods. We follow celebrity chefs, do what they do, eat what they cook. Really? Are we so shallow as a nation that we cannot make our own decisions and follow like lemmings over the cliff of destruction (remember, not talking politics here!) Snyderman also went on to say that Chris Christie could not meet the qualifications to join the military, so how can he be commander in chief?

The secret of her disease was kept private for three years. She now has a deal with a pharmaceutical company, whose product she uses. Should she be ostracized for making the best of a bad situation? Would I sign on with a drug company if it were a lucrative deal and the drug worked for me? You betcha!

At the same time, she is working on healthy eating plans to share with her fans and her son Bobby has a show on the Cooking Network that remakes her most famous dishes in a low fat, low calorie way. He even managed to take the fat out of her ooey gooey butter cake!

As a nation, we forgive a president his sexual indiscretions, our athletes their dog fighting and subsequent imprisonment, our singers and actors their drunken, drugged out bad behavior. But we can’t forgive a cook (as she calls herself) for keeping some information private and eventually, using her diabetes to make money, yes, but to help those who also suffer from the condition?

With the movement afoot for the “government” to control what people eat now, I have to say enough! What I eat affects no one but myself. If I smoked, I would be sharing second hand smoke, which is proven deadly. If I drink, I might have a collision while “impaired” and kill a family. If I did drugs, I might shoot you for money to buy more. If I eat a chocolate éclair, you might be sickened by the sight, but you would not otherwise be touched by the act.

If Paula ever invited me to dinner, I wouldn’t be able to get there fast enough.