Not Just Paula Deen: 9 Other Celebrities With Type 2 Diabetes -- And What They're Doing About It

Paula Deen isn't the only famous person to receive a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. With 25.8 million Americans diagnosed -- more than 8 percent of the population! -- it's no wonder that public figures reflect that prevalence as well.

These nine men and women prove Deen's assertion that diabetes "is not a death sentence." In fact, in some cases, it may even be reversible.

Comments

[Chi--townfool]

02:43 PM on 01/23/2012

Type 2 diabetes is for lazy unhealthy people! These popele shouldn't be regarded as brave they should be looked down upon

[mebemommee06]

06:40 PM on 01/23/2012

really, Halle Berry doesn't fit your description, so whats her excuse, or that's right you just wanted to make a dumb comment and move on.. we can see what your type is..

[Cheree Maureen Murphy]

01:10 PM on 01/24/2012

That is right,..... chi town ... while sitting and typing do u drink water? or do u much on chips n soda... come on man .... almost any american can get type 2 .... u can get it in check with diet n exercise .... may need to be more unhealthy ... but lazy?

[llove]

05:18 PM on 01/24/2012

The same way everyone should look down at people that can't spell and are ignorant?? Hereditary plays a big role. I have met plenty of people that are over 100 lbs overweight, eat terrible, don't exercise, are lazy and DON"T have diabetes T2. (Oops, there goes your theory.) I know people not overweight, they exercise, eat organic food, and are not lazy that DO have diabetes T2. What do you say now? BTW if diabetics are more tired than others, perhaps it's because sugar is not getting into their muscle cells to create energy, instead sugar remains in their blood.
Try looking at MSG in our foods and a chemical that is used to bleach flour. Both are used to give mice diabetes T2 so they can use them for exerperiments. Perhaps it's the chemicals that are being put in our foodds that is causing it. Perhaps you should get off your holier than thou attitude and research a little. Perhaps you may find some compassion while you are at it. Knowledge is a wonderful thing!

[av0509]

02:35 PM on 01/25/2012

people should look at themselves and their own "little secrets" before going on to judge others it isn't easy having to making adjustments to your diet i know i've been doing it for two years and i'm still struggling with it people needs to just leave paula deen alone and let her deal with what she is doing on her own

[hattie54]

08:21 PM on 01/22/2012

Old Huckabee is heavy again.

[mebemommee06]

07:31 PM on 01/22/2012

Ever hear the saying" When life gives you lemons you make lemonade",,well maybe now that Paula has joined the ranks of those who have type 2 diabetes, she'll revamp her recipes. I've watched the show and have never made one of her recipes, see I can tell whats good and whats bad and here recipes were artery cloggers.

[joeshop8]

06:57 PM on 01/22/2012

I do not eat fast food,fried food etc. I was raised on balance of healthy food. About 2 years ago I watched a couple Paula Dean segments and was shocked that People actually ate that way, I never thought it could be that good for You, coupled with Her size eating that way must take its toll. Thank God this day and age We have the ability to manage diabetes and hopefully Paula will start cooking healthy and showing Her fans there is more to food than frying the daylights out of it.

[mommyoffour]

07:19 PM on 01/22/2012

Maybe they should put a twist on her show and have her show people how to replace those fattening food items with healthier substitutions...and show they can still make flavorful dishes without all the fat and frying.

[joeshop8]

08:21 PM on 01/22/2012

That is a very good idea.

[xxgreyeyes]

07:42 PM on 01/22/2012

It's going to be hard for her to change. She seems like an addict to the unhealthy (why does it taste so good?!). lol... I'm a vegan, I don't care.

[mommyoffour]

06:41 PM on 01/22/2012

Has Paula Dean claimed her cooking was healthy? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know it's loaded with fat...but it does taste so good. Most Americans love their fast foods and eat it often...which is probably a lot worse than Paula Deans cooking. Smart people can look at what she is cooking and make substitutions for some items in the recipe. Like someone else said earlier...Paula Dean having Type 2 diabetes really shouldn't be any of our business.

[mebemommee06]

06:57 PM on 01/22/2012

thats so true!!

[Cheree Maureen Murphy]

01:16 PM on 01/24/2012

Amen ...yes it is Soda & fast food... all real cooks cook with butter n sugar ( the French r not Fat ) ... "fake stuff is worse" Get used to hearing Diabeties ... not Paula's fault it is our Fast food Life Stlye in america..... use common sense ... she never said it is healty and eat it all day dummies.... she raised 2 healthy looking sons who r not fat and cook like her... moderation people.... she is older as well many older american have diabetes ...& they r in line with me in the fat food line ... don't blame Paula ... spelling horrible ahahahaahaahaahah

[captainmorse]

06:33 PM on 01/22/2012

I have no family history of Diabetes, High Cholesterol was a factor with my Dad...but not Diabetes.
about a Year and Half ago I was diagnossed with Type 2. and was prescribed Metformin.
I always was in great Physical shape, but Cholesterol was always my problem...I now have Chronic
Angina for which I take Meds for...among them is Plavix, and Simvastatin [now changed to Lipitor].
and I was taking Lovasa [a high dose 0mega 3 fish oil]. The combination of these drugs made my
blood sugar spike. So with my sugar levels which were ok...the meds made those levels higher.
The Key here was Reducing Carbs and Sugar intake, and of course fatty and high Cholesterol
foods. I was able to eliminate the Lavasa, and switched over to the lipitor. I take Metformin
to further keep my blood sugar in check because of the meds. My last 4 checkups/blood work
reveals normal blood sugar levels, and great Cholesterol reading...I'm feeling better, and doing Better. Moral? often times our Illnesses can be Medically created. Always check for possible
medical induced symptoms before assuming that an illness is Biological.

[Rubberfish]

06:59 PM on 01/22/2012

While medications can indeed have an effect on blood sugar, your chronic high cholesterol seems to indicate a totally different picture, as high cholesterol levels and high triglycerides are not only connected to heart disease but also Diabetes. If you have been overweight, even only moderately, this could have given you Diabetes because free fatty acids in your bloodstream will make your liver create sugar, which in turn leads to higher blood sugar levels and insulin levels. The best thing you can do for your health is to eat a mainly vegetarian diet high in fiber and low in fat, which will bring down your high cholesterol without medication AND counteract Diabetes by keeping your blood sugar levels low.

[mebemommee06]

07:00 PM on 01/22/2012

I can't take those meds for cholesterol, since I get the side effects like muscle problems. my dr told me to try Red Yeast Rice for my cholesterol, its an herbal supplement.

[bodiejoe]

06:17 PM on 01/22/2012

I'm more interested in celebrities with type 1 diabetes. Most, not all, type 2's are suffering the consequences of unhealthy lifestyle choices. I'm sorry that now you are forced to diet and exercise, but you should have taken care of yourself before the disease caught up with you. You can unring the bell. Children with type 1 diabetes can't.

[Rubberfish]

07:03 PM on 01/22/2012

What you say is true, but I think there is one positive thing about reporting about celebrities with type 2 Diabetes: it forces people to wake up and face reality. People in America are getting bigger and bigger every year, and eventually there WILL be consequences for a poor diet and no exercise. If their idols can get Diabetes, so can everybody else.

[ggcdm2]

04:57 PM on 01/22/2012

I have Diabetes II. I used to be on meds..but now I am taking injections of insulin. They are easy to administer. No problem. And they make keeping up with blood sugar much easier. I wish I had been on insulin a long time ago. The meds are BAD for your organs. Plus they have other side effects. Ask your doc to put you on insulin if you are on meds. Now, my blood sugar levels are kept within normal range.. and I feel lots better.

[Rubberfish]

07:15 PM on 01/22/2012

It seems like all you care about is convenience. Do you really think that taking insulin is that much better than taking meds? Think about it: if you take meds your body is still making insulin on its own. When your beta cells are shot and can't make enough -or any- insulin, you need to inject yourself. A high-fiber diet and plenty of exercise would have had a better effect on your health, and you might not even have to take insulin or all those meds. But sure, it's always easier to be able to still enjoy all the things you used to and just inject all those carbs "away".

[ggcdm2]

09:28 PM on 01/22/2012

No, it is not that way at all. I eat low carb foods now.. and I use a scale that tells me how much insulin to inject. So, this makes me take my blood sugar four times a day two hours after each meal and also when I first get up in the morning. I am still producing insulin on my own.. just not as much. Anyway, my doses of insulin are very small. I am much more aware of what my blood sugar is.. because I have to read it and use the sliding scale. When I was on the meds I just popped a pill and didn't take my blood sugar often enough.. So I am much more aware of blood sugar levels and thus I am more responsible for my health. Regular exercise also helps keep blood sugar levels normal. My doctor said I am doing great with blood sugar levels. He checks my meter about once a month, and it gives readings 14 days back. I never eat sugar in food or in drinks. And I'm doing just fine.

[tresbonbon]

04:28 PM on 01/22/2012

I think many people are being unfair to Paula Dean. I hope you don't think the recipes she cooks on TV are what she eats everyday in real life. People have to have enough brains to know when and how often to eat those high caloric foods. I don't think for one minute she is "promoting that donut/egg sandwich. Come on, people, get real.

And as far as her not previously "revealing' her diabetes to the public...why should she? It's none of our business.

[mebemommee06]

07:03 PM on 01/22/2012

she's taking a hit because she's a celeb, and you're right its not any ones business, but once the media find dirt on someone, they run with it..

[Cheree Maureen Murphy]

01:18 PM on 01/24/2012

I agree with u ... moderation ... all the food shows use buttter n sugar ....

[Ty LaRue]

07:16 AM on 01/21/2012

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes one and half years ago and I have managed mine by diet and working out four to six days a week. My A1C levels are in the normal range and my weight has dropped, I feel 100% better. Anyone, like Paula Dean, who does not recognize that your lifestyle or diet has a lot to do with it, needs to wake up.

[Benjo333]

05:12 PM on 01/21/2012

Fanned! Should give you a tax break for taking care of yourself...

[mebemommee06]

07:08 PM on 01/22/2012

and what makes you think she eats what she makes on her show.. heck if she did, she should weight 500 lbs. btw. my mother is a tooth pick and got it.. plus my mother isn't a health freak and doesn't eat fast foods,she also goes for a long walks every day, and got it when she was 74..

[Ty LaRue]

09:48 AM on 01/23/2012

Okay but do you see her promoting healthy eating on her show, I doubt that with butter and sugar

[Unshriven]

11:36 AM on 01/20/2012

When my 28-year-ond nephew died as a result of his fourth attack of pancreatitis, it brought into clear focus the possible consequences of ignoring that tiny organ, and the distinct possibility that by the time you realize you've injured it, it may already be too late.

[Pole Dancing for Jesus]

10:27 AM on 01/20/2012

The way Paula Deen has handled this is disgusting. First, keeping it to herself for several years, then revealing her diagnosis in the context of shilling for some drug company.

Type 2 Diabetes is a disease caused almost entirely by a person's lifestyle, yet Paula Deen doesn't acknowledge the connection between food and diabetes, nor does she shrink from promoting her terribly unhealthy food choices. There's a reason why DM2 is called a "disease of the fork"!

[Benjo333]

05:13 PM on 01/21/2012

Fanned. She should be dropped by Food Network for this...

[mebemommee06]

07:13 PM on 01/22/2012

really,, how's about we get rid of ALL the cooking shows. Why not even go as far as to get rid of that shows like Man vs Food, and Diners and Dives, seeing they aren't eating the healthiest meals either!

[YooperSue]

06:34 PM on 01/22/2012

While lifestyle is one of the many causes of Type II diabetes, it is not the only or even the most common. There are many causes, and one of the major ones is hereditary. Two of my sibs and several cousins have it, yet we life a healthy lifestyle (eat well, moderate exercise, don't abuse alcohol -- in fact most of us don't drink at all). Some of my family members with Type II have always been slim. Yet my father and aunt both had Type II. I have to agree with previous posters about insulin. I had been on oral meds for about 10 years and fought going on insulin. My doctor finally convinced me to just try it. I have been using the pen (there are a couple of brands) for about two years now and the results are amazing. My blood sugar is well within normal limits and the highs and lows are no longer an issue. Plus, I have more energy than before. I'm not a paid promoter, but a healthy diabetic who has learned to live with my disease.

[mebemommee06]

07:14 PM on 01/22/2012

you're right, heredity does play a roll in it, but most don't see that part.

[badders]

09:38 AM on 01/20/2012

The headline her appears to be an attempt to remove some blame from Paula. It is a logic error known as the appeal to common practice. Others have diabetes so Paula is just another person with this problem.

[Kali03]

08:39 AM on 01/20/2012

Papa Sorvino is such a cutie. I'm glad that he has a loving family to support him and a strong will to stay healthy.

:)

[mater]

08:42 AM on 01/20/2012

I just don't like the disingenuous hidden "y'all" nonsense--anyone can become ill.

[Kali03]

08:43 AM on 01/20/2012

You mean from Paula Deen?

Agreed.

[inotherwords]

08:19 AM on 01/20/2012

I believe Halle Berry has Type 1 -- big difference

[ScienceGuyOrg]

11:05 AM on 01/20/2012

This article clears that up the doctors made a mistake she really has type 2 samething happened with me also. I am glad this came out because I have seen other articles where people were so harsh with Halle Berry for trying to say she cured herself of type 1 diabetes.

Even from type 2 as far as I know you can not cure yourself but you can reverse it. That is doing the right things you can have near normal blood readings. Example my last readings were 87 - 86 - 82. Now if I had eaten candy and brownies before that, it would no doubt be high.

[davidmcnealyiii]

04:41 PM on 01/22/2012

Her doctors initially misdiagnosed her as having Type 1 diabetes, an incurable, autoimmune condition in which the pancreas does not produce insulin. In truth, the actress has Type 2, which is much more related to lifestyle. She claims to have regulated her insulin levels with diet