Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to guest blog on "The Public's Health". The blog is a collaboration between Drexel University School of Public Health and The Philadelphia Inquirer. In multiple posts each week, the authors highlight contemporary, historical, and ethical matters that challenge public health professionals.For my post, I was able to contribute a "Pop Health" story which examined Paula Deen's disclosure of her type 2 diabetes and the media and societal backlash which followed.
What do you think? Do celebrities have the right to talk about their health information whenever and however they feel comfortable? Or do they have a social responsibility to disclose as early as possible- and to discuss it in a way that is most likely to improve the public's health?
Paula Deen has a responsibility to disclose her health with her audience, considering that her profession (cook/chef) has a direct link to health/illness. I think most of us would agree that Paula Deen's cooking is highly contributed to her developing type II diabetes; a disease that is highly preventable. I think the best question to ask is why did she wait 3 years to disclose her disease? If she had nothing to hide, she should have mentioned it from the onset. www.lilia-lifeinoh.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell said Lilia! Thanks for reading.
DeleteNot much to add to the post, but I do want to say how much I really like what I'm reading on your blog! I hope you'll be writing more and often! What a great blog idea - pop culture meets public health. Why didn't I think of that?!? Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melanie! I took a break from writing for a few months during the holidays and redesigning the site. You'll definitely be seeing more posts! Thanks for reading.
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