VIA: www.elev8.com
Diabetes does not discriminate. It doesn’t care whether you’re famous or not, if your body frame is small, medium or large, or whether you’re female or male. Diabetes affects millions of individuals all over the world. The statistics for African-Americans developing diabetes are alarming. African-Americans are 1.8 times more likely to develop diabetes as white people are. Among African-Americans age 20 or older, about 3.7 million have diabetes. Lastly, the death rates for African-Americans with diabetes are 27 percent higher than for white people. Celebrities from various arenas of sports, entertainment, music and arts are also living and coping with diabetes. Several of them are using their voice to support and advocate more awareness about the disease, and spreading inspirational words to others.
Actress Halle Berry discovered she was diabetic after collapsing while working on set. She was rushed to the hospital and fell into a diabetic coma for a week. Once discharged, Halle changed her lifestyle through diet and exercise. She has successfully lived with diabetes and is an advocate and spokesperson for pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk. In a past interview, Halle stated, “Diabetes turned out to be a gift,” “it gave me strength and toughness because I had to face reality, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it was.”
