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.
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"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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