Type 2 diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in the world.
Around 250,000 New Zealanders have a diabetes diagnosis, and another 100,000 have it but don't know it yet. Until a few months ago, that was the case for The Rock jock Lee Weir. But after he got a scare with his type 2 diagnosis, he refused to take it sitting down and decided to change his entire life.
Weir appeared on The Project on Tuesday to discuss his incredible journey of recovery.
"In May, as a result of me being far too big, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
"At my heaviest I weighed in at 164 kilos - that's quite a lot for something that lives on land."
There are two main types of the disease, simply called type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is genetic. Your body doesn't produce enough of a hormone called insulin, so it can't regulate sugar levels.
In type 2, you develop a resistance to insulin over time. This resistance is caused by overeating and prevents sugar from going into the cells. That spikes sugar levels in the blood and hurts organs. Over time that can damage the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, eyes and nerves, which can lead to amputations, blindness, heart attacks, strokes and even early death.
Fortunately for Weir, his doctor told him it was curable, and with some hard work he managed to get his blood sugar count back into shape.
"I've got two beautiful children... I wasn't a very good role-model for my children," he says.
"I know it sounds extreme but I'd love to dance with my daughter on her wedding day and teach my son how to drive, and I just wanted to make sure I was around for those moments."
Newshub.
