Tom Hanks Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

Tom Hanks has revealed that he has type 2 diabetes - the most common form of the condition.

Hanks, 57, told US talk show host David Letterman that he had been dealing with the problem for some time.

The actor said: "I went to the doctor, and he said 'You know those high blood-sugar numbers you've been dealing with since you were 36?

"'Well, you've graduated! You've got Type 2 diabetes, young man'."

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to function properly, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin.

It causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.

That can then lead to a number of different health problems, including an increased chance of heart disease or stroke.

"It's controllable," said Hanks, who was on Letterman's show to promote his upcoming film Captain Phillips.

"Something's going to kill us all, Dave," the Oscar-winning actor joked.

Looking fit and healthy, Hanks told Letterman that weight loss at this stage probably would not help.

"My doctor said 'If you can weigh as much as you weighed in high school you will essentially be completely healthy and will not have Type 2 diabetes' - and I said, 'Well, I'm gonna have Type 2 diabetes cause there is no way I can weigh as much as I did in high school'."

About 2.9 million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes, according to the NHS. Some 850,000 more have the condition without realising.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration says about 24 million people have Type 2 diabetes.

Some people may be able to control their symptoms through healthier eating, physical activity and weight loss.

However, insulin or oral medication is sometimes needed to keep blood glucose at normal levels.