James Earl Jones battled a torturous condition before dying at the age of 93

He told the TV chef turned talk show host: “I was lucky it was discovered because it was quite by accident. I was at a weight management and diet center, trying to lose some weight and fell asleep on the couch in the middle. from grammar school one day.

“The doctor who was there said ‘that’s not normal,’ and he encouraged me to get checked out. Then I got a test and there it was: type 2 diabetes. It hit me like a bolt of lightning.”

Type 2 diabetes causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become dangerously high. People with type 2 diabetes are often asked to make lifestyle changes such as diet, in addition to routine medical checks to control the condition.

The EGOT winner said his diagnosis made him reevaluate his lifestyle and focus on his health, especially as he got older.

He said: “I had to retrain myself to be aware of when my body is telling me something. Usually with low blood sugar it’s easy to notice. With high blood sugar it’s not so easy, and that can be the most dangerous aspect . of type 2 diabetes.”

Although the diagnosis initially caught Jones off guard, he confessed that his mother had also been diagnosed with the disease and that as a result he should have been “alerted” to the possibility that he too could one day be diagnosed.

He admitted: “Older people are in danger, my mother had it. So I should have been warned, but no. One thing I thought was, ‘This will never happen to me.’ So when it was discovered, it was by accident.”

Thanks to a supportive crew – including his manager, his son and late wife, Cecilia Hart, who died of ovarian cancer in 2016 – Jones was able to overhaul his diet and manage his symptoms.

He explained: “My wife, my manager and my assistant – who is also my son – are always there to support me and make sure I eat as healthy as possible. I don’t leave home without my son .”

Although the disease changed his life, he still had a zest for life and continued to act.

Jones said: “I love working, and at my age I still love being able to do eight shows a week in a play or a long schedule if I’m doing film or television. I didn’t want that to quit, so I had to take responsibility for my condition. It’s more important that I address diabetes because I will always have diabetes.”

Over the course of his career, Jones won three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Grammy.