Should Paula Deen Try the Biggest Loser Diet?

Should Paula Deen Try the Biggest Loser Diet?

By Dr. Sarah G. Khan for DietsInReview.com

With Paula Deen, the famous southern chef, coming out of the kitchen about her type 2 diabetes diagnosis the public is wondering what she’s doing to change her lifestyle. She believes that her diabetes is caused from a variety of things including genetics, stress and her eating habits. She’s teamed up with Novo Nordisk as the new spokesperson for Victoza, an injectable drug for type 2 diabetes. She’s also promoting a new campaign called “Diabetes in a New Light”.

Paula Deen is not willing to change her entire way of life, but instead is making small changes to manage her diabetes. She’s posted recipes that are lighter and more “healthified” instead of fried. She’s using leaner meats and whole grain pastas instead of white pastas that can raise blood sugar more quickly. She admits she’s limiting the amount of sweet tea she drinks and walking more with her husband.

She has a huge following and she could influence many diabetics to change the way they cook and live. The Biggest Loser Diet, named the best diet for diabetes by US News & World Report, could help her and millions like her. Could this be the right choice for her?

From a health care provider standpoint we are trying to reduce a patient’s A1C percentage, which is a three-month picture of blood sugar control. Ideally we want to get this number to around six percent and be as aggressive as possible doing it. This can minimize complications down the road such as dialysis, amputations, etc. These complications arise after years and years of diabetes.

Victoza works in several ways to help control diabetes, but lowers A1C minimally around one percent. Victoza is typically used in addition to other medications like metformin or glipizide. It works by slowly emptying the contents of the stomach to make you feel fuller longer. It also reduces sugar production from the liver and helps to improve beta cell function. Beta cells help the pancreas secrete insulin. Victoza’s website does not recommended use as first line therapy for people not being adequately controlled with diet and exercise. It is injected once daily, usually into the abdomen, and started as 0.7 mg for a week and then increased to 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg if necessary. It is best to rotate the injection site to the thigh or upper arm to minimize the risk of infection.

The Biggest Loser Diet takes your current weight and multiples it by seven to calculate the amount of calories you should eat each day. As your weight decreases so do your calories. It allows for two servings of whole grains each day, which may be why it is suitable for diabetics by going lighter on carbohydrates. The diet recommends limiting white potatoes, starchy veggies like winter squash and sweet potatoes. A chef like Paula Deen might appreciate the vast amount of recipes currently available with the Biggest Loser plan. There are numerous cookbooks and the Biggest Loser Club to help plan out her menu. Diet and exercise will not lower her A1C as much as medication will. However using the three in combination, the trifecta in attacking diabetes, may help her to reverse her diabetes altogether.