The Castaway star shared his diagnosis with the world back in 2013 on David Letterman’s talk show.
Hanks recalled: “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.”
Shortly after his appearance on Letterman’s show, he spoke in front of a London Film Festival for Captain Phillips. Here, the star explained the possible causes of his condition and said he won’t be accepting any other roles that require drastic weight changes.
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Although the actor thinks these roles might have contributed to his diagnosis – he also recognises he is “genetically inclined” to have the illness, as well as poor lifestyle choices.
He added: “I think I was genetically inclined to get it and I think it goes back to a lifestyle that I have been leading ever since I was seven years old, as supposed to 36.”
Type 2 diabetes is caused when cells in the body become resistant to the hormone insulin, meaning they don’t take in enough sugar from the blood.
This means levels of sugar within the blood remain too high. Its symptoms include losing weight without trying to, blurred vision, feeling very tired, and peeing more than usual.
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“If you have obesity, you are more likely to put your diabetes into remission if you lose a substantial amount of weight – 15kg (or 2 stone 5lbs) – as quickly and safely as possible following your diagnosis,” it explains.
Others may rely on a medicine called metformin to treat their condition. Metformin helps to keep blood sugar levels healthy and comes in tablets to take with or after meals.
