Getting a diabetes diagnosis can feel isolating and overwhelming. From figuring out your symptoms, to finding ways to manage the condition, it helps to know you’re not alone in the journey. While diabetes affects everyone differently, certain celebrities have spoken out about their own experiences in an effort to raise awareness, increase representation, and even further diabetes research.
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (although we’re also hearing more about type 1.5 diabetes). In people without diabetes, food is converted into glucose (sugar). This glucose is then released into the bloodstream, causing blood sugar to rise, which then prompts the pancreas to release insulin. This insulin then moves the glucose into cells, providing energy to the rest of the body. In people with diabetes, however, this process is disrupted.
In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas makes little or no insulin, per the Mayo Clinic. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t use insulin correctly, leading to high blood sugar. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy, and involves the inability to process sugar (likely due to hormonal changes). And lastly, type 1.5 diabetes – also known as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) – is when the pancreas gradually stops making insulin over time due to damage from another autoimmune process.
To learn more about the people who have spoken out about their diagnoses, we rounded up some of the most notable celebrities with diabetes, including a few whose stories you might not know. Their journeys include tales of misdiagnosis, lifestyle changes, health struggles – but most importantly – major wins that have empowered them to take back control over their own health and wellness. Read on to learn more about celebrities with diabetes, and the many ways in which the condition has touched their lives.
