Yes, Tom Hanks has type 2 diabetes. The actor revealed details about his sickness in 2013 during one of his appearances.
Tom Hanks’ health is a major concern for his fans. As the years passed by, Hanks' health slowly deteriorated which is pretty natural considering he is now in his mid-sixties. Hanks was among the first famous people to test positive for Covid-19 along with his wife Rita Wilson. But the actor had a speedy recovery, which left many fans breathing in relief. However, fans have now once again gotten concerned regarding Tom's health after his appearance in the premier of Elvis.
The concern over Tom's health started after some fans noticed that he was having trouble controlling his shaky right hand while walking the red carpet at the Elvis premiere in Sydney, Australia. While talking about the shooting of the film Elvis, Tom's right hand began to shake. Even when he tried to control it, he could not and that's when he swapped the microphone to his left hand. Fans also noticed that the actor has lost a considerable amount of weight. These incidents have collectively scared the fans.
What disease does Tom Hanks have?
Firstly to clear the air, Tom Hanks is not suffering from some grave disease that will leave him with a shorter life. In 2013, Tom Hanks revealed that he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. During his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2013, Tom Hanks said, "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."
Tom Hanks also added that his doctor told him he would be able to reverse his symptoms only if he made major changes in his lifestyle. Hanks said, "My doctor says if I can hit a target weight, I will not have type 2 diabetes anymore."
However, the actor doubted that he could make enough changes to reverse his illness at the time. "I'm going to have type 2 diabetes then, because I can't possibly weigh [what I weighed] in high school," he laughed.
What does Tom Hanks have to say about his disease?
During his interview with Radio Times in 2016, Tom Hanks opened up about his type 2 diabetes diagnosis and said, "I'm part of the lazy American generation that has blindly kept dancing through the party and now finds ourselves with a malady." He also added, "I was heavy. You've seen me in movies, you know what I looked like. I was a total idiot."
Hanks has made sure to make his health his priority and deal with the disease by working hard to maintain a healthy weight and control his blood sugar levels. While on a podcast, 'Sooo Many White Guys" he told Phoebe Robinson, "I try to get, every single day, one hour of activity. That can be anything from a treadmill or a walk or a hike with a dog, but it has to be one hour every single day."
"I watch what I eat to a point of boredom, and every now and then I cheat to the point of self-loathing," he added, blaming his diagnosis on both genes and "the horrible lifestyle I led of eating anything."
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