This surprised me, although I’m not sure why. Tom Hanks was on The Late Show last night and he told David Letterman that he was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This is becoming more and more common, from what I’ve read – middle-aged and older men and women getting the diabetes diagnosis. Some people blame a lifetime of poor eating habits, some people blame the prevalence of sugars in our food, and some people blame it on the alcohol. Tom’s diagnosis seems to be related to his career-defining weight gains and losses though:
Take care of yourself, Tom Hanks! The two-time Oscar winning actor, 57, was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he revealed on the Monday, Oct. 7 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman.
The Captain Phillips star explained that he’d been battling high blood sugar numbers for decades. “I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You know those high blood sugar numbers you’ve been dealing with since you were 36? Well, you’ve graduated. You’ve got type 2 diabetes, young man,'” Hanks recalled to David Letterman.
The beloved star has famously gained and lost weight rapidly for roles in films like A League of Their Own, Philadelphia and Cast Away, which could have been a contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes. Although it’s a serious diagnosis for the married father of four, Hanks will be able to “live a perfectly normal life,” Dr. Holly Phillips noted on CBS News. “He’ll have to watch what he eats very closely, he’ll need to exercise regularly.”
“In dramatic weight gain and dramatic weight loss the equilibrium of the body is just completely off,” Phillips added.
My father was diagnosed as diabetic when he was in 60s – my opinion for the cause was not the food (he ate pretty healthy and always had), but he drank like a fish. My guess (and it’s just a guess) is that Tom loves to drink and enjoy good food and now it’s all catching up to him. His weight losses and gains throughout the years were like a normal, non-celebrity person’s crash dieting and then binge-eating. Which can lead to problems even more serious than diabetes, which can be very easily managed with medication, exercise and diet.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
There could be a variety of reasons for it. I love Tom and hope he remains healthy for a very long time.
TOO MUCH JUDGING! He did not do anything “bad” that means he deserves to get diabetes. The pancreas just gets worn out.
However, interesting that yo-yo dieting can lead to diabetes. Another reason dieting does not work.
“The pancreas just gets worn out”?
Go back in time 100 years and see how many people had diabetes. Approaching zero. You’re deluded if you think he’s not in some way responsible for his predicament. Pancreases don’t just “wear out”.
Same thing applies to obesity.
I have no idea one way or another whether Belle is right or not, but go back 100 years and the average life expectancy was around 50, so that’s really not a useful argument against her point.
I love him.
My Mom was diagnosed with Type II when she was 57 years old and she blames it on my Dad leaving her for another woman…..as she is telling me this, she is stuffing an Entemenn’s Eclair in her mouth.
My mom never drank and never smoked. We defected to the US in the 80s and previous to that, she ate healthy — all veggies and lean meats.
Once we got here, she ate all of the “Western” diet foods (Burger King, McDs etc.). When my Dad left, she moved in with me. I put her back on a non fast food, non processed food diet. Not a drastic change just fresh food cooked at home and BAM her health improved.
Now she no longer takes diabetic medication (advised by her doctor). In her case it was diet not my Dad leaving, alcohol, smoking, etc. she just ate like crap for years; she basically ate her feelings.
You’re a great daughter. My mom has diabetes as well but she just can’t keep away from the crappy foods and then she wonders why she always feels terrible
I’m glad she’s doing better. Once you start eating fast food, or food loaded with refined carbs and sugar, you start getting addicted to it. It’s a vicious cycle.
A delicious cycle…
My dad was diagnosed with it later in life as well (well early 40’s) and it’s eventually what he passed away from. His was attributed to Agent Orange though.
Geez, that’s horrible. I’m sorry, blue marie 🙁
Maybe it runs in his family. There’s definitely a genetic component to diabetes. If he had high blood sugar at 36 it seems like he might have been predisposed to developing diabetes later on. I hope he’s feeling well.
I’m looking forward to seeing his new one. It’s already getting great reviews.
Food/drink, familial history, ubiquitous plastics in the environment and medications may all play a role in the onset of diabetes mellitus type II.
Can I just say he remains a very good looking man? Yes he’s not leading man Brad Pitt-style looks, but he’s very attractive in the guy next door sort of way. And his class, my god I love this man so much.
I’ve always had a weird crush on him.
Hanks has been heavier more than once, and with a history of high blood sugar since his 30s, it’s actually pretty good that he went another 20 years without full-blown Diabetes.
I’m predisposed to developing diabetes myself (had gestational diabetes, family history, etc) and my doctor is relentless about daily exercise and diet. She actually thinks our sedentary lifestyles are at least as big a factor as the foods we eat (although processed foods are a total disaster, too).
Yes he was spent more time being overweight. Actors can be fat so they don’t watch their weight. If he had high blood sugar since his 30’s it’s no surprise he came down with diabetes.
Love him! Just one of the nicest guys out there. I’m sure his lovely wife will keep him on track… Great couple.:-)
It’s funny how he and Rita get a pass for having an affair when he was married .Oh well My dad was fifty when he was diagnosed with Diabetes after being hospitalized for Strep Throat
Kim1 – I gotta ask, are you related to his ex-wife? Did Tom kill your dog? Because you mention this every.single.time there’s a Tom Hanks story. Why not put down the axe?
Most of the people I know that have it are thin but have a family history of it.
A diagnosis doesn’t mean he going to have to inject insulin every time before he eats. If he takes care to watch his sugar intake, even with vegetables, and be less sedentary, he should be fine. He has to adopt some discipline with food now.
Aww… please take good care of yourself Mr.Hanks.
Awww, Tom. It’s reversible, and you don’t need insulin to manage it. (As if he’s reading this and taking my advice, haha.)
I love TOm Hanks. In my pretend world my husband and I are friends with him and Rita, despite the age difference we are all besties, love them both :).
A D2 can be genetic as well. Combo of everything, food, genes, weight, ect. It can happen to anybody.
I’ve been diagnosed type II for 3 years and manage it very well with medication and good diet and exercise.
I am not overweight but did have gestational diabetes controlled by insulin and both my parents and sisters have it …
Can’t escape those genes and I would guess it’s a factor in Tom’s diagnosis too!
OVERWHELMING clinical evidence has shown that patients sufferirng from two very common illnesses – Type 2 diabetes and hypertension – are at much higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a dangerous condition characterized by episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction during sleep. Research has also shown that treatment of sleep apnea can help in the management of these two disorders.
People 50 years and beyond have narrower airways due to gravity and weakening muscles in the face and neck.
My dad has diabetes II and– I suspect– sleep apnea. Your post was a big wake-up call for me to get on his case again about the sleep apnea (he’s taking medication for the diabetes, but has brushed off any suggestions/recommendations about doing a sleep study). Thanks april 🙂
Good luck with your Dad. We will be hearing much, much more about sleep-breathing disorders and its link to chronic diseases in the future.
Life is like a box o’ chocolates.
You never know whatcha gunna get.
‘Thin’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘fit’. Ever heard the term ‘fat-skinny person’? Someone who may be naturally thin so they don’t exercise or watch the way they eat, and still end up with the high blood sugar and thick layer of fat around internal organs. Type 2 diabetes is very manageable and has become more prevalent in our society as obesity rates go up and activity levels go down. Basically, people eat too much and don’t exercise enough.
The same thing happened with my dad when he hit 60. He drinks very moderately and eats okay (not incredibly healthy, but not all that unhealthy either)… he does love his bread though. I think it’s the sugar content in food these days. He’s had to switch to stevia for his coffee recently.
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