- Kelly Clarkson recently opened up about a previous prediabetes diagnosis.
- The 41-year-old said she “wasn’t shocked” about the diagnosis on her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show.
- The star said that two years later she decided to “do something about it.”
Whether she’s opening up about her mental health or her weight loss journey, Kelly Clarkson prioritizes transparency with fans. Recently, the star gave her audience more insight into her health on the Jan. 29 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show with actor and comedian Kevin James. During the episode, Clarkson revealed that she received a prediabetes diagnosis (which indicates an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes).
To open the show, Clarkson played a clip from James’ comedy special Irregardless, in which he joked his body was “falling apart” and that his doctor told him he was “prediabetic.” After the clip, Clarkson echoed James’ experience.
“Well, I was told I was prediabetic. That was literally what happened,” Clarkson said, referencing his clip. “I wasn’t shocked. I was a tiny bit overweight. But I wasn’t shocked by it. They did, they were like, ‘You’re prediabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’ I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet.’ And then I waited two years, and then did, however, move into the, ‘OK I’ll do something about it.’”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in three Americans (about 98 million people) have prediabetes. The CDC defines the condition as experiencing blood glucose (sugar) levels that are higher than normal—but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, the CDC states. Lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise may help delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, the CDC says. But it’s important to point out that genetics often play a significant role, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) notes.
In addressing her prediabetes diagnosis, Clarkson decided to focus on her health and weight. “I eat a healthy mix. I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor—a couple years I didn’t,” Clarkson previously explained in an interview with People. “90% of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat—sorry, vegetarians in the world!”
Plus, Clarkson includes more movement and other practices that help with her health goals. “Walking in the city is quite the workout,” she continued. “And I’m really into infrared saunas right now. And I just got a cold plunge because everybody wore me down.”
In a 2022 episode of her talk show, the singer, joined by Valerie Bertinelli, opened up about body image. After Bertinelli shared her struggles around being judged for her weight, Clarkson echoed her experience.
“What I am glad about is, I think so many things happened to me when I was young about my weight that, even at a young age—like, so many things got said—that’s whenever I was just like: ‘Whatever, I’m not gonna please anyone,’” Clarkson explained.
“I had advice actually given to me for 2022, and it was: Treat yourself how you treat others,” Clarkson added. “Because I feel like we are kind to people a lot often, more than to ourselves, which is so crappy.”
We love how open and honest Clarkson is with her audience, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the star!
Shannen Zitz is an Assistant Editor at Prevention, where she covers all things lifestyle, wellness, beauty, and relationships. Previously the Editorial Assistant at Prevention, she graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a bachelor's degree in English. If she’s not reading or writing, you can probably find her frequenting the skincare and makeup forums on Reddit or hogging the squat rack at the gym.
