Photo: Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway

It could have been a turning point in America’s war on obesity. Tuesday morning on the Today show, Food Network star Paula Deen -- the queen of deep-fried Twinkies -- admitted that she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. But when asked whether fans should cut back on the “yummy, fattening” recipes she promotes, she told Al Roker: “Honey, I’m your cook, not your doctor.”

Deen’s position is hardly a surprise. This is a woman known for fried chicken and broccoli “salad” that includes sugar, mayonnaise, cheese and bacon. Deen knows that even a mention of healthy, responsible eating could undermine her multimillion-dollar television-and-cookbook empire built on the glories of sugar and lard.

Jamie Oliver in West Virginia last yearPhoto: Jedd FlowersCross-posted from Gilt Taste. It was all I could do not to scarf the entire stromboli, neatly packaged for me in a Styrofoam clamshell, while in the car. The dough was soft. The balance of ham and mozzarella, just right. And so, only about half was left when I parked on Third Avenue, the main drag in Huntington, W.Va., and offered a bite to some friends. "Wow. That's great," said one. "Yeah, where'd you get that?" asked another. "You'll never believe it," I told them. "This is school lunch." Times have changed …