Diabetes is a disease which has been known to affect millions of people worldwide. The above statement is true not only for common men but for celebrities too. Today, a lot of celebrated people suffer from either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and the associated complications which come along with the disease.

Type 1 diabetes is the condition in which the pancreas of the body is not able to produce the required amount of insulin in the body. Type 2 diabetes is the condition which occurs when the body is not able to process the level of sugar or glucose present in the blood properly.

The main factors causing the condition include poor lifestyle, weight gain, lack of physical exercise, smoking, and drinking, amongst others. As such, a lot of our favorite celebrities are also known to be dealing with the problem. In this article, we discuss ‘20 Famous Celebrities known to be Living with Diabetes in 2017.’

Celebrities who are Living with Diabetes in 2017

Let us have a look at the 20 famous celebrities who are suffering from diabetes in 2017. These celebrities are the perfect idol for all those who want to lead a normal life in spite of suffering from diabetes.

Following is the list:

1. Halle Berry

The 50-year old actress is suffering from the disease since 1988. During her shoot for the show, Living Dolls, she just fainted and was later on diagnosed to be suffering from diabetes. The Cat woman actress is known to be suffering from type 2 diabetes. The actress has, ever since, started a program to promote awareness of the disease and runs a campaign for the same under the name Diabetes Aware. The main aim of the campaign is not only to increase awareness of the disease but also to educate and help those suffering from diabetes seek a better and a healthy lifestyle.

2. Elliot Yamin

Another famous celebrity on the list is the second runner up of the popular TV show, American Idol. The celebrated singer suffers from type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed when he started feeling extremely thirsty and was lazy most of the times. He also experienced several joint pains before getting diagnosed. The singer admits that initially he could not accept the fact that he was suffering from something like diabetes, but later on when he finally accepted the same, he bought many changes to his normal lifestyle and adapted to a very healthy one. He wanted to continue his singing journey even though he suffered from the disease and today at 38 years of age, Yamin is a very well-established American singer.

3. Nick Jonas

Feeling thirsty all the time and extreme weight loss took this popular pop star to finally discover that he was suffering from type 1 diabetes. He contracted the disease in 2007 when he was really young: at the age of 15!Today, he wants to spread education and knowledge about diabetes through his concerts and songs. He works to educate people who suffer from the disease about the healthy lifestyle to be adopted and that is it not so difficult to carry on life as usual even if you are a diabetes patient.

4. Tom Hanks

We all know that the main reason for type 2 diabetes is obesity, Don’t we? Here is one celebrity who is the best example of the same. Tom Hanks himself agrees that if he loses some weight and gets back in proper shape, he will be rid of the disease. In fact, the 1994 Oscar winner always saw the impending disease as he was suffering from the problem of high glucose levels in the body for 20 long years.One of the reasons for the actor to have contracted diabetes remain the fact that when he had to put on a lot of weight for various roles in his films, he relied heavily on junk food and no physical exercise at all. The talented actor is living with the disease since 2013.

5. Bret Michaels

You will be surprised to know that this celebrity suffers from the disease ever since he was a mere six-year-old kid! The “Rock of Love” star has never let the disease come in the way of him leading an ordinary lifestyle. This, despite the fact that he has to always carry juice with him and as part of his medications, he has to intake insulin thrice a day. The star singer also spreads much knowledge about type 1 diabetes and how to lead a normal yet healthy lifestyle even if you are suffering from a disease like diabetes.

6. Victor Garber

Known for his roles in films like God spell, Assassins, Land Me a Tenor, and many others, the 68-year old actor is known to be suffering from type 1 diabetes. He has become an active member of the group “Beyond type 1”, which helps in educating people about the disease and also spreading awareness as to how the same should be tackled with an appropriate and a healthy lifestyle. The actor and the theater artist has been suffering from the disease ever since he was just 12 years of age.

7. Delta Burke

The cloth designer and actress has been living with type 2 diabetes since 1997. In order to prevent the disease from interfering in her day to day affairs, she has adopted a healthy lifestyle in which she has been regular with her exercise. She often follows a proper diet regime in which she intakes a lot of protein, eats smaller portions, and also tries to maintain a healthy weight. All these steps have gone a long way in helping her maintain a normal life despite suffering from the drawback. She also goes for regular blood testing to check her sugar and glucose level consistently; something that is advised to all patients suffering from type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

8. Larry King

The television and radio host has been known to be suffering from type 2 diabetes since 1995 and has been living with the disease till date. He has also been a heart patient and has also undergone a bypass surgery. In order to deal with the problem, he has taken to exercising daily and has quit smoking entirely. He ensures to follow a healthy diet. He has started eating a lot of fruits and vegetables as part of his daily diet.Besides, he is also on regular medication. King is also working towards raising awareness and educating those who suffer from the disease through the foundation: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Through this platform, he wants the common man to understand more about the type 2 diabetes and how to lead a normal life even if you suffer from the disease.

9. George Lucas

The 72- year old American filmmaker has long been suffering from type 2 diabetes. He first learned about the disease when he was a young man in college and was just on the verge of his graduation. He came to know about his physical condition when he had given a medical test to get involved in the Vietnamese war. He obviously was rejected on the grounds that he suffered from diabetes. The filmmaker has since then devoted most of his time in spreading awareness about the disease and what are the steps one has to take to lead a normal lifestyle in spite of suffering from the problem which might lead to several other complications. The star war director is the perfect example of how the disease can be contracted by common men and celebrities alike.

10. Tracy Morgan

Best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Life, Tracy Morgan has been known to be suffering from type 2 diabetes since 1996. However, it was not until 2007 that he started taking the prescribed quantity of insulin. Due to his ignorance, the American actor and comedian had to go through a kidney transplant in 2010. The comedian has since then taken to educating people about the disease and has acted in series like 30 rock in order to raise awareness of diabetes.

11. Christopher Biggins

The American actor and entertainer was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2010 when he was 61 years of age. He is believed to have contracted the disease due to his unhealthy way of lifestyle and also owing to his drinking problems. In order to survive and lead a normal life, the actor has taken to medication and physical exercise. He has also brought in changes in his regular lifestyle and food habits in order to lead a normal life and continue acting.

12. David Crosby

The American singer and songwriter have always been in news for his health condition apart from the famous songs he has composed and sung. In recent years, the singer has lost a lot of weight just to deal with the problem of type 2 diabetes. He has also been taking insulin on a regular basis.Due to the disease, the famous personality has a lot of other complications too including heart and liver problems. He wants to spread awareness of the disease and the message that one could lead a normal life even with the problem just by taking a few simple steps.

13. Jean Smart

The Designing Women actress has been suffering from type 1 diabetes since she was a teenager. Proving her mettle in a number of performances like Reggie, Maximum Security, Teachers Only, and Overkill, amongst others, Jean Smart has ever since adopted a very healthy and disciplined lifestyle in order to stay healthy and continue working. She is not only a famous personality but has dedicated her life to educating and raising awareness among those going through the same complications. For this purpose, she has become an activist and a fundraiser as she battles herself and inspires others to battle against diabetes and its associated complications.

14. Anne Rice

Best known for the series of novels by the name of Vampire Diaries, Anne Rice is known to be suffering from type 1 diabetes since a long time now. She became aware of her disease in 1998 and it took her several painful headaches to go for the diagnosis of the problem. Anne has since then dedicated her life to educating people about the problem and asking them to go for regular blood check- upsso that the same can be diagnosed at the right stage. Besides, she recommends a healthy lifestyle and a proper diet as the basis for leading a normal life if you are someone who suffers from diabetes.

15. Angie Stone

The 55-year old American actress and producer is known to be suffering from type 2 diabetes. She was diagnosed with the problem back in 1999 and it was then that she decided to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lead a normal life with a few changes in her lifestyle. She has now dedicated most of her time in raising awareness of the disease and persuade people to follow a disciplined way of life to prevent diabetes altogether. The actress works with an organization named Lilly Diabetes through which she organizes campaigns, etc. and brings forth her cause. She strongly believes that since the disease hardly has any symptoms, it is always preferable to go for regular blood check- ups.

16. Ben Vereen

Mostly known for the roles he has played in Broadway shows, Ben Vereen is a multi-talented actor and stage personality. He is even known for his dancing and singing talent. He got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after he experienced symptoms like a dry mouth and requirement to use the washroom on a very frequent basis. He has since then become an active member of Start Taking Action Now for Diabetes (STAND), an organization which aims to educate the younger generation to prevent and fight with type 2 diabetes. He aims to spread understanding amongst the common man that it is possible to live a normal lifestyle even when you have the disease just by following a few simple steps.

17. Billie Jean King

The American Tennis star was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and has ever since maintained a healthy lifestyle. The sportswoman, after getting to know of her problem first worked towards shedding all those extra calories which are considered to be one of the most important causes of type 2 diabetes. After that, the tennis star worked towards adopting a proper diet plan that would give her the ability to lead her normal life free of any complications. Since then, the celebrity has worked towards promoting education and knowledge about the disease and spreading awareness amongst those suffering from diabetes. As part of her awareness campaign, she is working for “Faces of Change” to enable people to manage the problem of diabetes appropriately.

18. Damon Dash

The 45-year old American actor and entrepreneur is known to have contracted the problem of type 1 diabetes. He wants to raise awareness about the same and

let people know that it is ok to suffer from the disease. The actor and producer has, by far adopted to a very healthy and disciplined lifestyle to tackle the problem of diabetes and lead as normal a life as possible.

19. Gary Hall, Junior

Garry Hall was really disappointed when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 1999. The Olympic swimmer has been dealing with the complicated disease ever since. This champion and celebrity sportsman is the perfect example of how you can lead a normal life even while you are suffering from a disease like diabetes. This champion has won gold medals in 2000 and 2004 in his 50-meter freestyle race after the former has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Today, the celebrity swimmer is highly involved in getting a perfect cure for the disease through his foundation. Besides, he also works for Diabetes Research Institute(DRI) to spread awareness about the lifestyle to be adopted if you have diabetes and want to lead a life which is as normal as before you suffered from the disease.

20. Randy Jackson

The American Idol judge was diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes in 2003 after which the popular celebrity had to go through several changes in his daily lifestyle. He had to lose all that extra weight and had also undergone a lot of changes in her diet regime. Besides, the celebrated judge tried to keep the disease under control by going for regular physical exercise. In order to raise awareness about the disease, he joined Taking Diabetes to Heart Awareness Campaign which talked about the other complications which come along with diabetes. The judge also uses his popularity to promote a healthy lifestyle and food habits which could help in preventing the disease altogether.

Diabetes is an issue which can touch anyone. The disease can be prevented by most of us by taking a few precautionary measures. This is particularly true if your family does not have any history of the disease in the past. We should take inspiration from our famous celebrities who have learned to tackle the problem and lead a normal life. These celebrities have gone a long way in adapting to a healthy lifestyle, many have quit smoking and drinking, others have lost weight, and each one of them today has healthy eating habits. Each one of the above- mentioned celebrity is a role model not only for anyone who suffers from the disease but for the society as a whole which is looking forward to preventing diabetes and the complications attached to the disease.