You killed the ice cream truck!
I am sure everyone has heard about Wendell Fowler’s attack on diabetics eating ice cream at a fundraiser sponsored by the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana. I first read about “the problem” at Mike Hoskin’s blog, The Diabetics Corner Booth. Last weekend, an email went around about an article written by Wendell Fowler in the Southside Times. You can read that article here. A lot of ice cream stuff has been going around blogs and Facebook this week. I guess you can say, the devil made me do it, but when I went grocery shopping today, between the heat and all the ice cream talk, I bought ice cream. I can’t remember the last time I had ice cream and I actually was hungry for it even before all the talk started.
My only regret? I went shopping before I read Wendell Fowler’s so called apology that you can read here. Had I read that, I would have bought some of the half baked ice cream because that is what his apology amounts to. That would have made a much better picture.
I read your response to Wendell’s “apology” (which I can’t even call half-baked), and you did a good job, girl! I wrote a response, too, figuring there is strength in numbers, and also read the publisher’s response (which was a lukewarm collection of garbage), but I didn’t do nearly as good a job as you did.
And I LOVE the melting ice cream truck – I imagine everyone in your part of the country is melting! We’re hot here, but nowhere near what you’re suffering!
Enjoy every single bite of your ice cream, girl! 
You must have posted your response after I looked last (or I just missed it!). I will look again. I did not read the publisher’s response but I probably should - I heard it is not very good either.
I got lucky and the ice cream truck happened to be going around Facebook, and not even as part of the Wendell uproar. Timing was perfect. It is horrible here but I know it is worse other places. We are only in the high 90s. I like 60s and 70s!
Thanks Natalie, I will enjoy every bite of the ice cream - so far, it was good!
Natalie, where’s the publisher’s response to Wendell’s nonsense? I hadn’t seen it, and would like to know what his employers think about his drivel.
Kelly, I read your response to Wendell and thought it was very good. What I find amazing is that he is allowed to publish this nonsense with only one source with which to back up his assertions: An overly long NYT editorial from author and activist Gary Taubes, who obviously has an agenda (i.e. “Buy my book!”). In addition to being essentially a long, subtle ad to get people to read his book, that Is Sugar Toxic article is poorly written by someone who appears to fail to understand the difference between correlation and causation – and that’s the basis for Fowler’s statements that people shouldn’t have a small dish of ice cream to help support diabetes YOUTH camps in Indiana?! SHEESH.
Two things I find interesting that are missing from this debate are (1) the simple fact that this FUND RAISER (and that’s what the ice cream was for) was not targeted solely at diabetics or diabetic children. It was meant for everyone – diabetic and non-diabetic alike. So, no one is necessarily foisting ice cream down the gullets of the poor, innocent diabetics. And, (2) if we (supposedly) have free will AND we believe that eating ice cream is not exactly the best way to show support for someone with diabetes, do we not all have the ability to, as Nancy Regan once said, “Just Say No”?
Wendell, I was going to smoosh my ice cream in your face, but that would be a waste of a precious 15g of carbs to keep me from going low tonight!
Angela, here’s the link, http://www.ss-times.com/?cat=5 a couple of letters down from the top.
but I copied the whole letter; it’s short. The publisher doesn’t get it, either, and mentions the correlation of obesity and several other diseases. He obviously doesn’t understand that correlation isn’t causality, either, and then praises his own organization for donating to the ADA.
Opening the diabetes discussion
Published July 22nd, 2011
By Roger Huntzinger
Dear Reader,
Last week’s column, written by Wendell Fowler, caused quite the uproar within diabetes circles. To those who were offended, we apologize. Wendell’s column reflects his own opinion and is intended to shed light on being healthy. He and several other writers who provide food for thought in this community newspaper each week have the right to express their own opinions. It appeared that several reader comments made last week about Wendell’s column were based on the misunderstanding that he was discussing Type 1 diabetes.
As you will note in today’s newspaper, Wendell clarifies for readers that his intention was only to discuss type 2. I am not, nor is any of the staff here, considered to be medical authority. However, we all understand that a correlation can easily be made between obesity and a sedentary life style, regarding several diseases, not just diabetes.
We should all be concerned about the growing rate of obesity in this country and especially here in Indiana.
In coming issues, we hope to address the very passionate interest in this disease by providing information and a forum for readers to respectfully discuss different opinions. Along with national organizations, local groups do their part, too, to support those who live with diabetes. For example, area Fraternal Order of Eagles raise funds for the American Diabetes Association and are to be commended for their efforts. Our only interest is with an informational dialog on this subject.
Roger Huntzinger,
Publisher
Gee. What would Wendell Fowler make of the Cupcake Smackdown? To raise awareness of the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure bike ride, competitive food eater Hungry Todd Rungy attempted to break the world cupcake speed eating record.
But they were sugar free cupcakes, so that made it OK, evidently!
We are only in the high 90s. I like 60s and 70s!Kelly, when I saw this, my first thought was, 70s and 90s are great BGs. Maybe 60 is a little low though...time for a little ice cream?
Then I realized it was Fahrenheit hahahaha.
Love that Ice Cream truck mealting!
I don’t blame you for buying u some ice cream! I tend to do just that if I pay attention to all the stuff that is said. You ENJOY that ice cream I kno I have with this HOT weather! YOU GO GIRL!!!
Thanks Angela. I agree that no one mentioned it was a fund raiser. I remember reading several places about other stuff like that and people pointed out the idea was not to get diabetics there eating stuff like pancakes and candy, but to raise money and target the general public.
I have a feeling his employers are happy right now because their paper is getting more hits than they ever would have otherwise!
Lila, when I read your post, I forgot I mentioned weather to Natalie & thought I made a typo about BS. I do treat 60s and really don’t want to hang out there but I like 60 degree weather!
You are right, as long as those cupcakes were sugar free, they would be OK. Wendell apparently doesn’t know exactly what a carb is and what it does to BS – just can’t have sugar.
Thanks Doris! I saw on FB that some news station used that pic – I guess as a joke about the heat. The ice cream was good and I am looking forward to having some more!
Thanks for the link Natalie. I looked before I went to bed last night and I couldn’t find it but I knew it was there somewhere.
Thanks MistressBlinky! I think we are all entitled to a sugar fix.
I agree we are entitled to a sugar-fix UNLESS we are carb-addicts, and it will throw us into a binge. Each person has to know how they function in that regard. In my case, I don’t binge unless I am depressed (which, fortunately I’m NOT right now! ) so when I’m depressed I need to be ultra-strict with myself, which is the hardest thing in the world, and I usually don’t succeed. So I’m trying to train my unconscious mind to be carb-aversive when my conscious mind is throwing a tantrum (or is it the other way around???)
Natalie, you are right that we each have to know how we function. One advantage of not being able to drive is that I can’t get to the store if I decide I would like to have a binge. When I do buy something as a treat, I get something small - notice I had the B&J container of ice cream & not a regular sized one (which would have been cheaper!).