Spotlight on Diabetes

There are three major defined types of diabetes. These are type 1, type 2 and gestational. Every 20 seconds someone is diagnosed with a form of diabetes.

If you've ever taken a gander at "Rock of Love" on VH1, or "The Apprentice", singer Brett Michaels, as most people already know, is a diabetic, and runs strong hard campaigns to raise money for the ADA. He is what is called a "type 1" diabetic. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. It's often referred to as "juvenile diabetes" because this is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. This is living day in and day out with some sort of insulin therapy. Sure a healthy lifestyle is a plus, but a type 1 diabetic will always need the insulin that their body doesn't make. Other celebrities that have suffer from type 1 diabetes are author Anne Rice, actresses Jean Smart and Mary Tyler Moore, and even Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor.

Then there is "type 2" diabetes. With type 2, the body just doesn't produce ENOUGH insulin to control our blood sugar. Remember, type 1, the body doesn't produce any AT ALL. Due to shows like The Doctors, Dr. Oz, or even The Biggest Loser, sometimes when we hear someone has Type 2 diabetes, our minds usually turn to overweight, inactive, unhealthy people. There is also been speculation that extra weight in the stomach and abdomen is a huge contributing factor to type 2 diabetes, which also, would explain "gestational diabetes" as well, like celebrity Selma Hayak and so many other women are diagnosed with, starting when the woman begins to gain weight throughout her pregnancy, and then disappears once she's given birth.

This was the beginning of my diagnoses. I was first diagnosed with gestational diabetes, then my blood sugars were fine after giving birth. The doctor warned me if I didn't take off the massive amount of weight I had gained, I could develop type 2, and he was right. Two years later, I was in the hospital with glucose counts over 500. I've been on diet, exercise, pill and injection therapies ever since.

True that in a lot of cases, type 2 diabetes can be cured with losing weight, proper diet and exercise. Well, I have two celebrities that are type 2 diabetics that don't fit that stereotype. Halle Berry and Billie Jean King. Active, healthy, ideal weight women, who suffer from it as well. There are also those celebrities that have had weight fluxuation issues that seem common with type 2 diabetics like actress Delta Burke or singer Patti LaBelle.

All in all, it comes down to control over your own body. Doing what is necessary and needs to be done. Whether your insulin dependent, or have learned you can control your diabetes just with proper diet, exercise and weight management, it IS possible to live a long and healthy life. There are those skeptics that think it's all genetics and there's nothing they can do. Click here to read a post a fellow blogger buddy of mine, Josie, did about the reaction an acquaintance of hers had when diagnosed with diabetes. This is NOT the approach to take ladies and gentlemen. This is a serious disease and one that can be control, treated and maintained.

Hope you all are having a great weekend! A little less than two weeks before I move! I can feel the anticipation building! Well, as Jerry Springer would say.. "Love Yourselves and Each Other!"

For more information about diabetes visit The American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org

Celebrity names pulled from Celebs Who Live with Diabetes

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