I had to look up Paula Dean and see what she's up to after you mentioned her Thud.

This article about her in Readers Digest had a quote from a dietitian that I just had to post...
She's answering a question about Paula drinking Sweet Tea.

"A: Sugar doesn’t “give” you diabetes, but there’s one caveat: A study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions last year found that women who drank two or more sugary drinks a day, even if they were a normal weight, were more likely to develop abnormal levels of fasting glucose—a sign of diabetes. “Liquid sugar may work differently from other sugar,” explains Campbell. “It seems to start a cycle that increases dangerous visceral fat, which can lead to metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.” Be mindful of how many sugary beverages you sip, especially if you have other diabetes risk factors, advises Campbell."

http://www.rd.com/health/diet-weigh...lost-30-pounds/