Diabetes mellitus, well known as diabetes, is a chronic disease that causes high blood sugar. There is a hormone in our bodies responsible for transporting sugar from the blood into our cells, which is eventually used for energy. This hormone is called insulin, but when you suffer from diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the existing insulin correctly.

There are two types of diabetes, namely type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas (where insulin is made); and type 2 diabetes, which occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin – and as a result, sugar remains in your blood.

Left untreated, diabetes can lead to other complications, such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney diseases and so on. So, if you have these symptoms, such as increased hunger and thirst, weight loss, frequent urination, blurry vision, and fatigue, schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

However, if you have diabetes, it’s important to realize that you are not alone in this situation. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Of course, diabetes can affect people of all ages, regardless of their status, gender, and race.

With that said, here are some famous people who suffer from diabetes as well. Read on for more info!

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. He is also regarded as an American cultural icon. According to the media, Hanks is the fourth highest grossing actor in North America.

His roles in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994) earned him two Academy Awards for Best Actor. He has also won 7 Primetime Emmy Awards for his work as a producer. In 2016, Hanks received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

On March 11, 2020, Hanks and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 while he was shooting Elvis in Queensland, Australia. They were hospitalized for a few days and after quarantine, they decided to donate their blood antibodies for virus research.

However, our famous actor announced in 2013 that he has type 2 diabetes as well. “I’m part of the lazy American generation that has blindly kept dancing through the party and now finds ourselves with a malady … I was a total idiot,” he told E! News.

You might also like: 10 Strange Effects of Social Media on Your Brain.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry is an American actress who initially started her career as a model. She was the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and sixth in the Miss World in 1986. Berry starred in a lot of movies, including Boomerang (1992), The Flintstones (1994), Bulworth (1998), to name a few.

Her role in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) earned her a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She also won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama film Monster’s Ball (2001).

When filming for Living Dolls, she lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Berry said publicly that she thought she was going to die, but realized, after all, that diabetes was a gift that gave her strength and toughness because she had to face reality.

You might also like: 11 Manners Americans See as Rude (but Other Countries Don’t).

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek is a Mexican and American actress and producer. She starred in a lot of movies, such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West, and Dogma (both 1999). Her role in Frida (2002) earned her a nomination for Best Actress for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.

However, when she was pregnant with her daughter, Valentina, Hayek was diagnosed with gastrointestinal diabetes. According to medical experts, gastrointestinal diabetes is treatable, but you can be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life as well.

You might also like: 8 Stars Who Underwent Dramatic Transformations for a Movie Role.

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone is an American actress, producer and former model. Stone is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She gained more international fame after starring in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct (1992).

Our beautiful and talented actress suffers from type 1 diabetes and is often asked about her secret to staying in shape. She says that there’s no secret and that she does all the things recommended by her doctor, such as eating healthy foods, sleeping at least 8 hours a day, regular exercise and focusing only on positive things.

You might also like: 7 Items That Are Just Status Symbols.

Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas is an American singer and actor. He began his acting career when he was only seven years old. He usually sings with his older brothers, forming the band called Jonas Brothers. Their band became famous after collaborating with Disney Channel and appearing in the Camp Rock (2008), and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010).

In 2005, when he was only 13 years old, Nick was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He uses an insulin pump to manage his symptoms and the condition per se. “It was something I thought would slow me down before I even got started,” he said at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. “But thankfully it didn’t, and I’m in the healthiest place I’ve been since my diagnosis.”

You might also like: 8 Famous Co-Stars Who Hated Each Other in Real Life.

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams is an American singer, actress and fashion designer who rose to fame after receiving the Miss America title, being the first African American woman with such a title. In 2016, our beautiful celebrity launched her own clothing line called V. by Vanessa Williams.

She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including Grammy nominations for a few hits, Emmy nominations, a Tony Award nomination, seven NAACP Image Awards, and four Satellite Awards.

Unfortunately, her childhood wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. She publicly stated that she was molested by a woman when she was ten years old, had an abortion while she was in high school and struggled with type 1 diabetes. She still supports numerous charities for diabetes research.

You might also like: 12 Successful Celebrities Who Never Went to College.

Patti LaBelle

Patti LaBelle is an American singer and actress. She started her career as the lead singer of the vocal group called Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. She is regarded as the Godmother of Soul. However, the group split in 1976, and LaBelle started a successful solo career.

She won a 1992 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her album called Burnin’ (1991), as well as a second Grammy Award for her album Live! One Night Only.

In 1995, LaBelle was diagnosed with diabetes, but it seems that this condition was genetically inherited since her mother died in 1978 of diabetes. Her uncle also went blind from the disease. She said publicly that she feels great now and that she’s a “DIVAbetic”.

You might also like: 7 Bizarre Dishes on Victorian Dinner Tables You’d Probably Hate.

Paula Deen

Paula Deen is an American TV personality. She owns two restaurants, namely The Lady & Sons and Paula Deen’s Creek House and published fifteen cookbooks. Even though she is married to Michael Groover, she still uses the last name of her ex husband, Jimmy Deen.

In addition, in 2012, Deen announced that she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years before. Although she is an exceptional chef, she still has to change her diet to control her disease. However, during a 2012 interview, she said that she always preached moderation.

You might also like: 7 Ordinary Things That Have Changed Immensely Through History.

George Lucas

George Lucas is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as Lucasfilm, LucasArts, and Industrial Light & Magic. He also directed the film American Graffiti (1973), which was critically and commercially successful, earning him five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

His next film, Star Wars (1977) was the highest grossing film of that era, earning him six Academy Awards.

However, Lucas was drafted by the Army for military service in Vietnam, but he was exempted from service when they discovered that he had diabetes. It seems that this disease is genetically inherited as his paternal grandfather died of diabetes.

You might also like: 7 Strange Gifts Celebrities Have Received From Fans.

Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Shepherd is an American actress, comedian and author. She was a co-host of the talk show The View, earning her numerous Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 2009. Shepherd starred in Less than Perfect (2002–2006), Sherri (2009), Trial & Error (2017–2018), and Mr. Iglesias (2019). She is also the author of the novel Permission Slips: Every Woman’s Guide to Giving Herself a Break, published in 2009.

She publicly announced that after years of prediabetes, the disease has now progressed to type 2 diabetes. “If you have diabetes, it’s not a death sentence. And if you’re pre-diabetic, don’t sit in the dark and try to ignore it. So many people are paralyzed with fear, but knowledge is power,” Shepherd said.

You might also like: 8 Bizarre Funeral Rituals From Around the World.

James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors in American history. Before starting an acting career, Jones served in the United States Army during the Korean War.

His role in The Great White Hope (1970) earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. He also received three Tony Awards (out of five nominations), two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.

In 2016, our talented actor spoke publicly about his long term health challenge with type 2 diabetes. He said he was diagnosed in 1990 after his doctor saw him fallen asleep while exercising at a gym.

You might also like: 6 Weird Beauty Secrets of the Most Beautiful Women in History.