'Modern Family' star Eric Stonestreet reveals he's been taking Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes since 2022. It has changed his life in 2 ways.

• Eric Stonestreet told Business Insider that helium has benignant 2 diabetes and uses Mounjaro to dainty it.

• Stonestreet kept his diagnosis a concealed for years due to the fact that helium was ashamed, but decided to talk out.

• Mounjaro helped him power his diabetes and motivated him to make healthier habits, helium said.

In 2009, Eric Stonestreet took connected the relation that would alteration his life: the amusive and flamboyant stay-at-home dada Cam connected "Modern Family." But Stonestreet's beingness changed successful much ways than 1 that year: helium was besides diagnosed with benignant 2 diabetes.

The Emmy-winning histrion told Business Insider that helium started taking Mounjaro — a GLP-1 agonist cause akin to Ozempic — successful 2022 to dainty his diabetes. He is speaking publically for the archetypal clip astir having the information and utilizing Mounjaro, successful concern with its manufacturer, Eli Lilly.

The progressive constituent successful GLP-1s mimics a hormone of the aforesaid name, which the gut produces people to assistance equilibrium humor sugar.

After researchers realized GLP-1s were causing patients to suffer important amounts of weight, mostly done appetite suppression, medications specified arsenic Wegovy (known arsenic Ozempic for diabetes) and Zepbound (the Mounjaro equivalent) were approved for value nonaccomplishment successful 2023 and person soared successful popularity successful the years since.

Stonestreet, 53, said the medicine changed his beingness by helping him support his diabetes nether power and motivating him to follow a healthier lifestyle. He said helium wants to rise consciousness of benignant 2 diabetes.

"We person to get radical talking astir it and instrumentality distant the stigma," Stonestreet said.

Stonestreet kept his benignant 2 diabetes diagnosis a concealed for years

Stonestreet said his benignant 2 diabetes diagnosis was wrapped up successful shame astir being a bigger person.

He grew up connected a workplace successful Kansas and played tons of sports. He looks backmost connected himself arsenic a slim kid, but didn't ever deliberation that way.

"I've ne'er thought of myself arsenic thing different than a abdominous oregon overweight kid," Stonestreet said. "In seventh grade, I was astir six foot, 175 pounds. I was the biggest kid successful class. But erstwhile I spot pictures of myself backmost then, I'd bash thing to person that physique now. So I deliberation successful a way, however I viewed myself and however I look benignant of manifested itself."

Stonestreet started putting connected value successful his elder year, and stayed a akin size for astir 20 years. "It's lone successful the past 15 years that I felt similar I started to enactment connected excessively overmuch weight," helium said.

After helium was diagnosed with benignant 2 diabetes, Stonestreet was successful denial. He "took immoderate elemental treatments that the doc recommended," but didn't archer anyone astir it.

"I was embarrassed by it, ashamed, conscionable due to the fact that present I am, this dense acceptable guy, of people I person benignant 2 diabetes, and everybody would conscionable beryllium like, 'Well, duh,'" helium said.

But benignant 2 diabetes doesn't lone impact radical with larger bodies. It's caused by insulin resistance, and portion probe suggests that 80 to 85% of the hazard is tied to obesity, different factors — including genetics, enactment levels, race, and property — besides play a role.

"You ne'er cognize what idiosyncratic surviving with benignant 2 diabetes looks like," Stonestreet said. "It's casual to overgarment with a wide brushwood successful that way."

Stonestreet decided to unfastened up to his parents astir having the illness erstwhile his dada was diagnosed with leukaemia. He aboriginal died successful 2021.

"Seeing my dad's wellness neglect and my ma person different wellness issues unrelated to benignant 2, that got them truly talking astir their diabetes. And past that got maine to admit to them that I had it," helium said.

This Easter, helium recovered retired 2 of his cousins person benignant 2 diabetes, too. "Never knew that successful my life," helium said.

Stonestreet said helium and his cousins feeling comfy to unfastened up astir having benignant 2 diabetes is what helium hopes his run volition execute connected a wider scale.

Stonestreet said taking Mounjaro inspired him to alteration his lifestyle

Stonestreet had tried different treatments for diabetes, but thing had arsenic profound an effect arsenic Mounjaro, helium said.

"My doc astatine the clip was precise excited astir it coming out; helium told me, 'Eric, erstwhile this cause hits the market, you're going to beryllium 1 of the archetypal radical connected it. It's going to beryllium large for you.' And it has been," helium said. The Food and Drug Administration approved the cause for diabetes successful 2022.

Mounjaro is injected weekly, and Stonestreet built up to the highest dose. It has helped him little his A1C (average humor sweetener levels) to pre-diabetic numbers, helium said.

The medication's efficacy inspired him to enactment connected his wide lifestyle, and helium started moving for 150 minutes a week, mostly by walking. Patients connected Mounjaro and different GLP-1s are advised to devour a nutritious fare and workout regularly.

"It's been crazy. The numbers don't lie, and it's conscionable been dilatory ticking down," Stonestreet said, referring to his A1C. "Once I truly started focusing connected fare and workout to spell on with Mounjaro, my A1C conscionable fell disconnected a cliff. It's remarkable."

He added: "All of a sudden, I felt similar I needed to beryllium accountable to it, due to the fact that it's showing up each time to bash thing for me."

By changing his outlook connected his lifestyle, the medicine has been a "life-changer," helium said.

"Those doctors astatine Lilly, scientists, researchers, they did each the enactment to make it. And truthful I'm not going to conscionable spit successful its look and each their faces by not doing astatine slightest my portion to marque the cause arsenic effectual arsenic it can," Stonestreet said.

In studies, patients person mislaid up to 20% of their bodyweight connected Mounjaro, but that was ne'er Stonestreet's focus, and helium mislaid a fewer pounds erstwhile helium started connected it.

He besides said helium didn't acquisition communal broadside effects of the drug, specified arsenic nausea and constipation. GLP-1 drugs are considered a semipermanent treatment, and immoderate patients person recovered the broadside effects excessively challenging to continue.

Stonestreet views monitoring his glucose levels similar a game

Stonestreet uses a continuous glucose show to way his humor sweetener levels and treats it similar a game.

"I'm logging accusation constantly, and it's turned into thing I'm addicted to," helium said. "Making definite my humor sweetener is ever wherever it needs to be."

He watches what helium eats but allows himself to "mess up each erstwhile successful a while."

Ultimately, Stonestreet thinks it's important to person realistic expectations successful life.

"If I had moved to Los Angeles to beryllium a lifeguard connected 'Baywatch', I would've had a precise unfulfilled career," helium said. "Could I person been a sunburn unfortunate connected 'Baywatch'? Sure. On the beach, visiting from Kansas? Completely realistic."

He added: "So I deliberation if I tin springiness radical proposal — and it's not ever casual to instrumentality proposal from idiosyncratic that's doing it — but it's conscionable acceptable yourself realistic expectations. Don't say, 'Man, I'm going to tally a marathon', oregon 'I'm ne'er going to person a portion of candy again successful my life'. Just spot by bit, portion by piece."

Read the archetypal nonfiction connected Business Insider