Getting Real About Diabetes With Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson knew he wanted to be an actor ever since he was young. He achieved his ambitions, and is now a well-known face from movies and TV shows like “Barbershop,” “Transformers,” and “Black-ish,” the hit sitcom that earned him seven Emmy nominations.

As a comedian, Anderson has a knack for making people laugh. But he said he’s always wanted his impact to go deeper than that.

“At a very early age, I also said I wanted to have an effect on people’s lives with my work, and I’m doing that by being an advocate for type 2 diabetes,” he said. 

Anderson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 25 years ago. He also had high blood pressure and high cholesterol – “a hat trick,” he joked. Anderson knew right away he was going to have to make some changes for his health. He had lost his father to diabetes-related complications and had seen firsthand the impact diabetes could have without the proper tools and support to manage it.

“I was the first person with diabetes diagnosed in my family, but my father had been living with diabetes for close to 25 years, unchecked,” Anderson said. “That’s what made me want to share my story. I didn’t want to see that happen to my children or other families.”

Anderson started working out regularly and changed his diet, even going vegan for stretches, and lost nearly 50 pounds. He said it was challenging (and still is), but for him, it was a matter of choice: commit to making a change, and you might surprise yourself.

“It’s about change and having the discipline to stick with it,” he said. “And we’re going to fall off, we’re not always going to be able to do it. I’m guilty of it myself. But it’s okay, you just get back on track and keep going.”

Since his diagnosis, Anderson made a commitment not just to his own health, but to the health of others. In 2017, Anderson partnered with Novo Nordisk (makers of Ozempic) on the Get Real About Diabetes campaign, which aims to educate, empower, and provide support for people with diabetes. He also spoke at the 2025 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, emphasizing the importance of advocacy for people in marginalized or underserved communities who, despite having higher rates of diabetes and obesity, are less likely to get quality or timely care.

“Men, Black men in particular, we don’t go to the doctor unless we have an appendage falling off or something,” he said. “But there’s a thing called preventative maintenance. I always say to men, you take care of your car, right? If the brakes are squeaking, you go get them checked. So let’s go to the doctor and get checked. If something’s squeaking, let’s go get that fixed before it causes damage that we can’t come back from.”

“That is my story to men. I try to speak to them in language that they understand,” Anderson added. “If we had education, someone speaking to us like this in its rawest form, maybe things might be different. When we don’t, this is where we end up – with type 2 diabetes and all this other stuff.” 

In between hosting TV shows and new movie projects (“Scary Movie 6,” anyone?), Anderson continues his advocacy work to raise awareness and promote education about diabetes. He said one of the most gratifying parts of the job is hearing how his journey has impacted others.

“I’ve had people stop me on the street to tell me that just because of sharing my story, they were able to make changes in their lives they hadn’t been able to make before. That’s been the most gratifying thing,” he said.

Anderson credits his health transformation to a combination of lifestyle changes, working openly with his doctors, and, perhaps most importantly, his own resolve. He acknowledged that breaking old habits and building new ones is hard, but once you commit, it can change your life. 

“I made a choice to live with diabetes and not die from it,” he said. “There are changes that we have to make, and we may not like them, but they’re going to help us live, to be around our families, to be productive in our lives. Embrace and enjoy them.”

Read more inspiring stories about living with diabetes here:

• Bravery, Determination, and Resilience When You Have Diabetes
• NBA and Diabetes: Gary Forbes on Taking His Shot
• 6 Tips From Someone Who Has Lived With Diabetes for 50 Years

Photo credit: Get Real About Diabetes