In Brief

Tom Hanks Says He Has Type 2 Diabetes

News
By Rachael Rettner
published

(Image credit: Actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson in LA in October, 2010 via Shutterstock)

Actor Tom Hanks revealed last night on The Late Show with David Letterman that he has Type 2 diabetes.

Hanks said he'd been dealing with high blood sugar levels for years, and now his levels are high enough to meet the criteria for diabetes.

Hanks, who is 57, has appeared in movies that required him to gain or lose a significant amount of weight, something that could have played a role in the development of his diabetes, according to CBS News.

"In dramatic weight gain and dramatic weight loss, the equilibrium of the body is just completely off. So that might predispose him to developing type 2 diabetes later," CBS news medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips was quoted as saying.

Hanks gained 30 pounds for his role in "A League of Their Own" in 1992, and lost 55 pounds for his role in "Cast Away" in 2000.

However, a 2011 study conducted in mice suggested that dramatic weight loss or gain, so-called "yo-yo dieting," does not affect the risk for diabetes. Mice experienced high blood sugar levels when they gained weight, but became healthier once they lost the weight.

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Rachael Rettner
Rachael Rettner
Contributor

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.