Dear Tom Hanks, 

I am writing to you as a huge fan, but also as a concerned holistically oriented Doctor of Medicine. I recently read an article stating that you, Tom Hanks, were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. From what I understand, you had been suffering from the signs and symptoms of  subclinical Type 2 diabetes (pre-diabetes) for almost two decades, but were just diagnosed.

As I mentioned, I am a huge fan of your work and have been following your movies for almost 30 years. I remember when you splashed into our lives in that movie with Darryl Hannah.  I was truly moved by your performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, laughed hysterically while watching Big and Toy Story. I was on the edge of my seat through Cast Away and Apollo. And when Captain Phillips comes out in theatres October 11, 2013, I will be one of the many fans flocking to the movies to watch your work. With this said, I would like to continue to enjoy the outstanding movies you continue to create. For this reason, I would like to offer you my professional advice. Every year, I consult hundreds of patients in my Wall, NJ practice with the same symptoms that you, Tom Hanks, suffer with as a patient suffering from Type 2 diabetes. I’m sure you’re aware that every time you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin. Therefore, if you eat too frequently and you consume too many carbohydrates in your diet, your insulin secretion will become pathologically elevated.   Over time, the insulin in your body stops working and leads to a condition known as insulin resistance. When you reach this stage of Type 2 Diabetes, your blood sugar will start to rise higher and higher and you may begin to feel the recognizable symptoms: blurred vision, extreme fatigue, feeling very hungry and/or thirsty. And I’m sure you know that in the long run, suffering from the effects of type 2 Diabetes, can lead to heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and obesity. What you may not realize that insulin resistance can also lead to low testosterone levels, depression, weight gain, thyroid disease and even cancer.  Most people (even many doctors) are operating under the erroneous assumption that as long as your blood sugar is under control than you are doing the best that you can to manage your Type 2 Diabetes. The truth is that high levels of insulin in your blood are a very serious problem, perhaps even a bigger problem than high blood sugar itself.

You recently tweeted, “Yep, I have #2 diabetes. Type 1 is VERY SERIOUS! Type 2 I can manage with good habits. I shall! Hanx”. And you are absolutely correct, if you manage your diet and lose the 15-20 pounds of extra weight that you claim to be carrying around, you can also lose insulin resistance. However, I implore you to adapt a more natural, holistic regimen that emphasizes a low carbohydrate diet rather than depending on medications to lower your blood sugar levels. Many less enlightened doctors will recommend that you take drugs to lower your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol. However, I must warn you that the statin drugs (used to lower cholesterol) actually can increase your insulin resistance, your insulin levels and hence complications of Type 2 Diabetes!  The only thing that will fix your problems is drastically altering your diet. You must understand that you cannot drug a person to wellness. Only by fixing what is wrong can you achieve a long lasting solution to your problem.

Tom, your Type 2 Diabetes was caused by a lifetime of excessive dietary intake of sugars and carbohydrates leading to excessive insulin secretion, insulin resistance and now full blown Type 2 Diabetes.  Your only rational solution is to stop repeating the habits that brought you to this state of ill health in the first place!  Mr. Hanks, if you follow my instructions and diet very strictly, I can guarantee that you will not need prescription medication, your insulin production will decrease, your blood sugar levels will drop, and your risk of heart disease and all of the other terrible complications of Type 2 Diabetes will go down dramatically. If you visit my holistic medical practice in Wall, NJ, I will measure your insulin levels, your hormone levels as well as your overall body chemistry. We will review a diet full of delicious, satisfying foods with healthy proportions of protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.  I will also implore you to eat 3 full meals each day and discourage any snacking. You need to completely eliminate all sugars and sweets from your diet (and even limit your fruit intake). This is not a diet; this is a way of eating in a healthy way that will insure you a life free from disease and suffering. 

Please Mr. Hanks, I truly enjoy your work and want to ensure that while you continue to produce such amazing work for years to come, I can enjoy it too. Give me a call, I will make time for a consultation with you, the Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks and in the meantime, feel free to read my book Edibolic Stress: How the Lies You Are Being Fed Are Making You Sick.

Sincerely yours,
Michael Rothman M.D., FACEP