• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • COVID-19
  • Find A Doctor
  • Subscribe
Home / Health Conditions / Diabetes / Anthony Anderson: “I Started Off As The Fat Funny Guy”

Anthony Anderson: “I Started Off As The Fat Funny Guy”

(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Anthony Anderson has come a long way from starring in his very own sitcom, “Blackish” with Laurence Fishburne and Tracee Ellis Ross. He actually said he started out in Hollywood as a self-proclaimed “fat, funny guy,” appearing alongside fellow comedic stars Jim Carrey and Martin Lawrence.

But offscreen, Anderson’s weight was anything but a laughing matter: He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2002 at the age of 32.

READ: The ‘Meet The Browns’ Meet Diabetes Head On

Now, at age 50, it took a few years, but eventually, Anderson realized he had to get serious, and so he committed to changing his eating habits and lifestyle. Around the same time, Anderson also made a conscious decision to shift the direction of his career, focusing on darker roles in movies, such as Hustle & Flow and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, and co-starring in television dramas like The Shield and K-Ville.

The day he became serious came in 2008. “When I was cast in Law & Order, I decided to make a drastic change,” says Anderson. “I got more serious about my health and appearance – not from a vanity standpoint. I just started making healthier choices.”

You May Also Like
9 Foods You Should Never Eat after Age 30
(Anthony Anderson 2009 before his weight loss/Twitter)

He even decided to take his healthy eating to the next level.

“I moved to a plant-based diet, he says. “I’m vegan-ish – I’m not going to send anything back to the kitchen if some butter or cream found its way onto the plate.”

Inspired by his family history of the disease, Anderson recently became a spokesperson for FACE Diabetes, an initiative sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly that focuses on educating and empowering the African American community.

How It All Started:

“I was home in Los Angeles, close to eight years ago now. Out of the blue, I started feeling really lethargic and lazy, taking mid-afternoon naps, which is something I wouldn’t just do. I chalked it up to overworking. I just thought I was running myself ragged. But the turning point was one evening I drank, literally, a 5-gallon jug of water in the course of a couple of hours, and there was constant urination. I knew what the symptoms of diabetes were since my father was a diabetic, and I was like ‘Wow, I think I need to go to the doctor and get this checked out (okay, actually, my wife said that).’ I went the next morning and found out that I had elevated glucose levels and the doctor said, ‘You know you’re a type 2 diabetic.'”

You May Also Like
The Most Common STD You've Never Heard Of


His first reaction:

“I didn’t change dramatically at first. Being a 32-year-old man, stubborn and all that, I was really just stuck in my ways and I thought, ‘I can beat this. I can handle this.’ But after a while, it wasn’t getting better. Now, I’ve really changed my lifestyle. I’m eating differently, and I’m also incorporating exercise. I have a treadmill that was just collecting dust in my house, and I started to run 3 miles a day on it. When I get bored with that, I go outside and run around the golf course.”

READ: The 4 Worst Foods For Diabetics

(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Netflix)

“I met with Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser, and I said, ‘Bob, come on, give me a quick fix on how to lose some weight.’ And he laughed and said, ‘Anthony, you know there’s no quick fix to that.’ Then he said, ‘But, I’ll give you a tip: If you don’t do anything else,…

Continue Reading

The Latest In Diabetes

Two senior African American women getting in shape together. They are jogging or power walking on a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood, talking and laughing.

Weight Loss After 40: Your 10-Step Plan

If you're trying to figure out how to manage weight loss after 40, there's a 10 step plan that will make the process easier. You’re eating the same kind of foods, eating about the same amount of food, and exercising read more about Weight Loss After 40: Your 10-Step Plan
African American woman exercise trail

Short & Intense Workouts: The Secret To Burning More Calories

  For many years I worked out and tried nearly every workout craze that existed. I used to put in long hours at the gym. I would work out with various personal trainers to achieve a cut and defined body. read more about Short & Intense Workouts: The Secret To Burning More Calories
Black girl lost in thought.

Control Your Diabetes to Avoid Nerve Damage

Poor diabetes control can lead to diabetic neuropathies—damage to the nerves in the body. Nerves are the messengers in our body that communicate pain, temperature, and other information between our body and the brain. Their nourished tiny blood vessels are read more about Control Your Diabetes to Avoid Nerve Damage

Black History of Health: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was one of the great American anti-slavery leaders of the 1800s. Born a slave in Maryland, he quickly learned that God had a much bigger plan for him. After escaping slavery he became a prominent activist, author, and read more about Black History of Health: Frederick Douglass

5 Top Meal Delivery Services for Type 2 Diabetics

If you have Type 2 diabetes and struggle to find the time and energy to meal plan, grocery shop, and prepare meals, you may want to consider trying a prepared meal delivery service to help you. With the popularity of read more about 5 Top Meal Delivery Services for Type 2 Diabetics
Diabetes FOOD

Diabetes Alert: Do Starchy Vegetables Spike Your Blood Sugar?

People with diabetes are frequently told to avoid eating potatoes and other starchy vegetables because of the perception that these foods make it difficult to control blood glucose levels. However, when consumed in the context of a well-planned meal, starchy read more about Diabetes Alert: Do Starchy Vegetables Spike Your Blood Sugar?

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain
  • Pooch Hall: Family Over EverythingPooch Hall: Family Over Everything
  • Black Health History: Rosa ParksBlack Health History: Rosa Parks
  • Home Remedies For Your Dry SkinHome Remedies For Your Dry Skin
  • 10 Cities With The Highest HIV Rates10 Cities With The Highest HIV Rates

Podcast

Diabetes prevention and management podcast

Dr. LeNoir is joined by Dr. Lenore Coleman, a Pharmacist and Founder of Healing Our Village, as they offer you the tools you need to prevent and manage diabetes.

Listen Now

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2021, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.