RIP Fred the Baker: Last Doughnut Made

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the passing of Fred the Baker, a character associated with Dunkin' Donuts, and the implications of his death, particularly in relation to diabetes and dietary habits. Participants share memories, express emotions, and discuss the challenges of managing diabetes, including dietary restrictions and personal experiences with the disease.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Personal anecdotes

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express sadness over Fred's death, while others find humor in the situation, citing his death from diabetes.
  • There are mixed feelings about the portrayal of diabetes, with some arguing that jokes about it are inappropriate due to its severity.
  • Participants discuss the challenges diabetics face regarding dietary choices, particularly the consumption of donuts.
  • One participant shares a personal story about a diabetic relative who manages their condition through careful monitoring of glucose levels and insulin use.
  • Another participant reflects on the emotional difficulty of changing dietary habits, drawing parallels to their own experiences with food allergies.
  • There are questions about how Fred the Baker managed his diabetes, with speculation about dietary habits and insulin use.
  • Some participants share anecdotes about their relatives' experiences with diabetes, including one who had their pancreas removed and managed without insulin for a time.
  • Discussion includes a light-hearted mention of Fred's appearance and a nostalgic reference to donuts, despite the serious underlying health issues.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the appropriateness of humor regarding diabetes, and there are differing views on dietary management for diabetics. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approaches to managing diabetes and the implications of Fred's death.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about diabetes management, indicating a lack of understanding of the disease and its complexities. There are also references to personal experiences that may not generalize to all diabetics.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in discussions about health, diabetes management, and personal anecdotes related to dietary habits may find this thread engaging.

arildno
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Fred has made his last doughnut:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/27/vale.donuts.ap/index.html
 
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That's sad :frown:

Does anyone remember that Dunkin' Doughnuts commercial with him figure-skating? It probably wasn't him doing the actual skating though.
 
lol it's not sad it's hilarious. he died from diabetes.
 
I never knew he was called Fred, I will always think of him as "time to make the doughnuts". :frown:
 
So, who's going to make the donuts now? :frown:
 
hopefully another diabetic
 
Diabetes is such a horrible disease, seriously, don't make jokes about it. My mom has diabetes.
 
it is a horrible disease, but a controlable one. Glazed donuts can not be a part of a diabetics life.
 
tribdog said:
Glazed donuts can not be a part of a diabetics life.
Well, not for long.
 
  • #10
My Point Exactly!
 
  • #11
tribdog said:
My Point Exactly!
Did you ever actually see him eat a donut? I don't think so!
 
  • #12
It's ironic for the company that their product was poison for their spokesman.
 
  • #13
I know a diabetic who loves glazed donuts and isn't ready to give them up too soon.. As most diabetics do today, he checks his own glucose level and knows from experience how much insulin to dialup on his injector.
 
  • #14
Ouabache said:
I know a diabetic who loves glazed donuts and isn't ready to give them up too soon.. As most diabetics do today, he checks his own glucose level and knows from experience how much insulin to dialup on his injector.
I really don't understand how diabedes works. All that stuff outside the cranium is terra incognita to me.
 
  • #15
and judging by your spelling of "diabedes" that stuff inside the cranium isn't exactly firm ground either.
 
  • #16
Ouabache said:
I know a diabetic who loves glazed donuts and isn't ready to give them up too soon.. As most diabetics do today, he checks his own glucose level and knows from experience how much insulin to dialup on his injector.
You can't do that for long. I've known people who do that, and they're the ones who wind up blind with ulcers covering their legs and die young because even injecting insulin doesn't work after a while with that approach.

On the other hand, my grandfather had his pancreas removed due to cancer over 10 years ago, and for some reason, was never prescribed insulin until about a year ago (when he landed in the hospital with glucose levels through the roof). We're trying to figure out how he got away without insulin for so long. All I can figure is there was a little bit of pancreatic tissue left behind that produced enough insulin to keep him going along with his fairly low-sugar diet (my grandmother's cooking tastes awful because she hardly uses any sugar, or salt, or much of any seasoning, but it's probably what kept my grandfather healthy after the surgery), but couldn't sustain production indefinitely.
 
  • #17
tribdog said:
and judging by your spelling of "diabedes" that stuff inside the cranium isn't exactly firm ground either.
This would be funny if I'd misspelled "cranium", I suppose.
 
  • #18
who died? I'v never heard of him
 
  • #19
Moonbear said:
You can't do that for long. I've known people who do that, and they're the ones who wind up blind with ulcers covering their legs and die young because even injecting insulin doesn't work after a while with that approach.
I agree, it's not a good approach. A radical change in diet is challenging from an emotional standpoint. I went through a similar experience awhile ago dealing with food allergies. So I know what the fellow is facing. I believe he is already experiencing secondary effects (reduced insulin production, neuropathy to extremities). He also became diabetic from surgical removal of portion of pancreas. If this person has enough fortitude, he should adjust his diet. I wonder how Fred handled it.

On the other hand, my grandfather had his pancreas removed due to cancer over 10 years ago, and for some reason, was never prescribed insulin until about a year ago (when he landed in the hospital with glucose levels through the roof). We're trying to figure out how he got away without insulin for so long. All I can figure is there was a little bit of pancreatic tissue left behind that produced enough insulin to keep him going along with his fairly low-sugar diet (my grandmother's cooking tastes awful because she hardly uses any sugar, or salt, or much of any seasoning, but it's probably what kept my grandfather healthy after the surgery), but couldn't sustain production indefinitely.
Your grandfather is lucky, having someone help change his diet. It sounds like he also has excellent emotional support. Knowing what not to eat is quite different from actually doing it. It takes a concerted effort and conditioning over time. The mind is being retrained after following a habit (diet) that was reinforced over years.

zoobyshoe said:
I really don't understand how diabedes works. All that stuff outside the cranium is terra incognita to me.
That's okay, a lot of folks can drive but don't care to know what's going on under the hood. If you're really curious about it, here is some http://depts.washington.edu/uwcoe/healthtopics/diabetes.html.
 
  • #20
yomamma said:
who died? I'v never heard of him
An actor who became an icon for a donut & coffee company in U.S. through medium of television.
 
  • #21
All this talk got me hungry. I just bought a box of donuts, 2-chocolate frosted, 2-glazed, 1-powered, 1-eclair.....I haven't had one of these things in a long time. Yummy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Valedoughnuts.jpg


errr, did anyone else over look his hitler like mustache?
 
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  • #22
Ouabache said:
Your grandfather is lucky, having someone help change his diet. It sounds like he also has excellent emotional support. Knowing what not to eat is quite different from actually doing it. It takes a concerted effort and conditioning over time. The mind is being retrained after following a habit (diet) that was reinforced over years.
Oh, no, this wasn't actually a change in diet for my grandfather. My grandmother has cooked that way as long as I can remember. I have no fond memories of grandma's home-cooking, but did learn at an early age that no matter how bad food tastes, when you're a guest in someone's home, you're supposed to shut up and eat it anyway. It just worked out lucky for my grandfather that what he's grown used to turned out to be exactly the diet he needed to be on.
 

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