Celebs Who Suffer from Diabetes

Does diabetes affect you, or someone you’re close to? Read these inspirational stories from celebrities who are also afflicted with the illness and have succeeded in managing it with a healthy diet and exercise – despite leading hectic lives.

Tom Hanks
This Oscar-winning actor suffered from high blood glucose levels since the age of 36 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2013.

Known for always being slightly overweight, Hanks controls the illness with a healthy diet and proper exercise and has said that the condition is manageable.

Larry King
The infamous talk show host was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1995, despite thinking his health problems were over after surviving a heart attack and heart bypass surgery in 1987.

King controls his diabetes by sticking to a diet that consists mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables, religiously follows his medical treatment plan and dances half an hour a day for exercise. Since diabetes increases the risk of many cardiovascular health problems, he also gave up his heavy smoking habit.

Salma Hayek
While the actress was pregnant with her daughter, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that only affects pregnant women but increases the chance of type 2 diabetes later in life.

Her family has a history of diabetes, but she did not suspect that the nauseated feelings she had throughout her pregnancy were caused by the illness – until she got tested. Hayek now speaks openly about having had the disease.

Nick Jonas
The Jonas brother was hospitalized while on tour in 2005 at the age of thirteen due to rapid weight loss and constant thirst and moodiness – he was consequently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. His blood sugar level had a count of over 700, with a normal count being between 70 and 120.

He permanently wears an insulin pump – a device that supplies insulin to his body – on his arm and a monitoring device on his stomach that tracks his blood glucose levels eight times a day. He also checks in regularly with his doctor.

Apart from sticking to a very strict diet, Jonas visits the gym every day or plays drums to get a workout, since his abnormally high blood glucose levels can not be kept under control if he does not regularly partake in physical activity.

These celebs prove that it’s never too late or too early to take control of diabetes and live an enriching, active life.