Tom Hanks vows to beat diabetes

Tom Hanks believes he can cure himself of Type 2 diabetes by losing weight.
In 2013, the 59-year-old star revealed he had been diagnosed with the metabolic disorder, which causes the body to struggle to regulate blood sugar levels due to a lack of the hormone insulin. The chronic disease is usually brought on by living an unhealthy lifestyle.
Until recently it was thought diabetes could only be managed rather than cured. But Tom tells Britain’s Radio Times magazine his doctor says he can beat it if he can shed the pounds and keep them off, admitting, “My doctor says if I can hit a target weight, I will not have Type 2 diabetes any more.”
In December last year (15) researchers from Britain’s Newcastle University published research indicating those with Type 2 diabetes could be cured just by losing weight.
The actor blames himself for his health problems, due to his lifestyle choices as a young man.
“I’m part of the lazy American generation that has blindly kept dancing through the party and now finds ourselves with a malady,” he says. “I was heavy. You’ve seen me in movies, you know what I looked like. I was a total idiot. I thought I could avoid it by removing the buns from my cheeseburgers. Well, it takes a little bit more than that.”
When revealing his diagnosis to U.S. late night host David Letterman in 2013, the Forrest Gump star revealed he had been battling high blood sugar for decades but it had only recently developed into diabetes.
“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,'” he said.
After the health scare Tom swore that he would no longer gain or lose large amounts of weight for film roles – something he did extensively in his early career.
“I’ve talked to a number of actors who have gained weight for roles, and just the sheer physical toll it puts on one’s knees and shoulders – no one wants to do it again,” he told Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. “I don’t think I’m going to take on any job or go on vacation again and see to it that I can gain 30 pounds.”
Tom’s latest film, A Hologram for the King, which sees him star as an American businessman attempting to resurrect his fortunes in Saudi Arabia, is released in the U.K. on Friday (20May16). The movie opened in the U.S. last month (Apr16).