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Dr. Phil McGraw on Type 2 Diabetes: ‘Here’s the Good News, It’s Manageable’

HuffPost Live

He’s on it! On Thursday, March 10, Dr. Phil McGraw stopped by HuffPost Live to talk about living with type 2 diabetes and to spread awareness on how it’s manageable.

“Here’s the good news, it’s manageable,” Dr. Phil explained. “This is one of those diseases that has a stigma. There’s a lot of people that feel guilty if they have type 2 diabetes, a lot of shame that goes with it because people think that if you got the disease its because you’ve been lazy…” The TV host learned he had type 2 diabetes in his 40s, but hasn’t let it slow him down. He’s gone on to host his own talk show for 14 seasons and counting.

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“There are some of those factors that can aggravate the condition if you have the disease, but you’re genetically predisposed to this,” McGraw explained. “The truth is the stigma is really grounded in a lack of information.”

When Dr. Phil, 65, visited his doctor for an extensive physical exam, his only concern was his constant energy fluctuations. When he was diagnosed more than 25 years ago, the famed psychiatrist didn’t let the news get to him. Though diet, exercise and stress-level management helped control his condition, Dr. Phil believed that there was more to finding the solution to his problem: “As soon as I knew what I had, as soon as I had an answer, then I think 50 percent of the solution in any problem lies in defining it.”

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“Once I knew what it was, ‘OK. Let’s do it … let’s get on this,’” the Oklahoma native said. “That’s where I am now, 25 years later, with this ‘ON IT’ movement.”

Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil recently partnered with AstraZeneca for the ‘ON IT’ Movement, an awareness campaign that aims to educate and empower adults living with type 2 diabetes to live a healthier life.

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Dr. Phil revealed the best advice he received on managing type 2 diabetes: “Knowledge is power. Find out what your body is doing with what you are taking in and what you are putting out.”

Have a question you’d like to ask a celebrity? Check out who will be appearing on HuffPost Live and submit your question to be asked live on-air!

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