Do Chefs Really Have to Be FAT??

In the years I've been watching the Food Channel, I've seen Emeril grow from a lean young man to a portly one. It's about life style, but he's not the only one. Tyler: his not tucked in shirt still shows a belly, Bobby Flay, Mario, Paula Dean, Alton, The Barefoot Contessa all have grown spare chins and become nearly obese; to see them go like that, totally out of shape, gone to pot, it's sad.


Sure their food looks great on the screen, but they need to focus more on eating well, eating healthy, instead of eating whatever it is that will certainly kill you at an early age, no matter how buttery good it is.

As chefs, we have a responsibily to lead our patrons to new experiences with food, but also to guide diners to safer, more healthy haits. The era of James Beard and gluttony are gone. I have friends working every day in kitchens all over New York, and they're lean because they work hard and don't overindulge themselves on what their customers demand of them: their own cooking.

The "Top Chef", for example, easily wins points by feeding the judges quarts of cream, butter and costly ingredients. Where is the challenge in that?