Celebrities with Diabetes
Category:Indian Dietitian Online,Nutrition ArticlesHave you been recently diagnosed with Diabetes? Do you feel like it’s the end of the world?
Most people go into a state of denial and think that ignoring the problem will make it “go away”.
The truth is, pray as much as you want, but it won’t go away. What you can do however, is accept the situation, learn, and understand the condition, so that with the help of your doctor, dietitian and diabetes educator you can be in better control of yourself and diabetes.
Keep in mind that you are not alone in this battle, with India on the verge of becoming “the Diabetes capital of the World” there are more than 40 million diabetics in India alone. Diabetes is not restricted to the common man; even movie stars, sports stars, singers and other celebrities suffer from the disease and yet are still able to lead a glamorous lifestyle.
Celebrities who are also diabetics:
- Wasim Akram: The former Pakistani bowler also known as ‘the King of Swing” was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 30 and was at the peak of his career. Akram apparently could not believe that he could be a diabetic as he thought that only people over the age of 50 and leading a sedentary lifestyle could get it. Eventually, he learnt to follow a strict diet and exercise regimen that was tailor made for him along with daily insulin doses. To his credit he has about 250 wickets which he took after being diagnosed as a diabetic!
- Kamal Hassan: Diabetes has not dampened the spirits of this versatile actor and father of actress Shruti Hassan. He tries to balance a hectic schedule and his Type 1 diabetes and even takes out time to encourage other diabetics to take charge of their lives.
- Gaurav Kapur: The Channel V VJ, host of Big Switch 2 and actor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the tender age of 22. Gaurav now practices yoga and jogs to keep fit, follows a strict diet and avoids alcohol to keep his sugars under control.
- Elvis Presley: The King of ‘Rock and Roll’never publically admitted the fact that he was a diabetic and went on leading a high profile life.
- Halle Berry: The Oscar winning Hollywood actress was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 23 when she collapsed on the sets of a TV show. The actress then went on to win numerous awards and even an Oscar in 2001. In 2007, she gave birth to a baby girl. “Diabetes turned out to be a gift,” she says. “It gave me strength and toughness because I had to face reality, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it was.”
- Nick Jonas: India’s most famous ‘damad‘ (or Priyanka Chopra’s husband) and singer of the boy band ‘The Jonas Brothers’ was diagnosed with diabetes at age 16. Diet, exercise and an insulin pump that delivers insulin throughout the day is what lets Nick lead as normal a life as possible.
- Randy Jackson: The American Idol judge, singer and Grammy Award winning producer was obese, had a family history of diabetes and is an African-American (the 3 major risk factors for diabetes) when he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Randy has since then, managed to shed around 45kgs (100lbs) with regular exercise and diet.
- Salma Hayek: The actress cum producer was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when she was 25 weeks pregnant with her first child. Though this type of diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, these people have a high risk of developing diabetes later on in life.
- Sonam Kapoor: The actress and fashionista was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a very young age. Instead of sitting back, she decided to take control of her life. She started eating healthy and with regular exercise lost a ton of weight and is able to keep it under control.
So it’s not just you, even the rich and the famous can suffer from Diabetes. What you need to do is to take a leaf from their book and try your best to control diabetes so that you can lead as normal a life as possible.
At the end of the day-don’t let Diabetes control your life, try to control it!
Sweta Uchil
Online Indian Dietitian