Tom Hanks announced last night, on David Letterman, than he has Type 2 Diabetes. There are a few more listed in this article, but how many more celebrities are there out there that have any type of Diabetes that are advocates? Knowing Hanks, he will probably become a strong advocate now.
Might be interesting to discuss. I'm always interested in how someone who has hectic schedules when filming a movie on a tight budget and timeframe handles their Diabetes and stays healthy. Of course, they make a lot of money and have the ability and tools needed for them to succeed. It's just always fascinated me.
My hope is that he now becomes a strong advocate for Diabetes.
If you read some of the comments, it is really sad how misinformed people are. I'm actually happy that Tom Hanks "came out." He has never been overweight and probably has been a regular exerciser. But he still ended up with T2. Unfortunately some of the commentators still think that you can reverse T2 if you just ate a vegan diet and exercised. Tom Hanks has the potential to be a much better advocate than Paula Deen.
I watched the interview on Letterman. What bothered me is that Tom Hanks' doctor, as mentioned in the interview, told him that the high blood sugars he had had since he was 36 had finally progressed into diabetes. ?!? That's a long time to be flirting with elevated blood sugars. He & Letterman also joked about how the doc said the diabetes would basically go away if he got down to his high school weight of 96 lbs. The interview itself is the usual fun, breezy Hollywood sort. I just don't like that pre-diabetes isn't taken seriously and the notion that diabetes can be cured. That being said, I like Tom Hanks & am sorry he joined our not-too-exclusive club.
He said he had first noticed abnormal blood sugars at age 36. Since he is 57, it is unlikely that he has been a LADA for so long, but he should probably test for it anyway.
I was disappointed about that comment that if he got super thin again he wouldn't have diabetes anymore, too. I assume he doesn't know much about diabetes yet (and neither, it seems, does his doctor), and hope that eventually he will choose to be a well-informed spokes-person. Shall we invite him to join TuD? :)
yeah invite him to our cool community!!! its not good for diabetes if uneducated people like halle berry are out there talking about their diabetes. so we should get tom hanks as educated as possible that he will be a great ambassador! :)
At least diabetes isn't Terminal. This is Big news.
You get the idea.
Some of there are truly amusing. And that's certainly a better reaction that the vitriol that followed Paula Deen's announcement. Of course Tom Hanks isn't shilling for big pharma. And his weight gain and loss over the years was for (beloved) movie roles.
When I listen to the Letterman interview I'm bothered by how the laugh track is turned up when diabetes is mentioned. It's like the producers don't want the viewers to get sad or take the news too seriously.
Type 2 is manageable. It's not a death sentence. At least that positive message got out.
he does and has had a weight problem, that's what was discussed (he loses weight for his movie roles), if he can keep his weight down he'll get it better under control.
why, it is very serious. can't think of too many disease which effect every part of our body, every nerve, organ, cell, muscle. it is indeed very serious. and a b*tch to manage and live with. type 2, well...he's doing fine with diet and exercise. We as T1's don't have that option, never will!
I think that if you have that situation as a figure of that magnitude you have an assistant handle diabetes for you although that didn't work out too well for Jerry Garcia...
I just tweeted this to him: "@tomhanks You should join our Social Network @tudiabetes and let @ec**** (you) Interview you. It would mean a lot to 30K+ People. #diabetes" wouldn't it be great if he responds. :)
Having him just come out as Type 2 is important. Maybe it will make people think before they say something like - "Oh you're Type 2, why don't you just stop stuffing your face and show a little discipline."
Yeah, I love those kind of comments. They always make my day. Especially when close friend says it. Makes the world a special kind of place for a few moments.
