Billie Jean King has just released her autobiography, All In. She told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that she developed an eating disorder, binge eating, at the age of 51.

“It took me forever to be comfortable in my own skin,” says Billie Jean King. “I think 51 when I went through the eating disorder.”

The trailblazing leader in gender equality admits she admired Naomi Osaka for discussing mental health.

Billie Jean King spoke to Naomi Osaka about Roland-Garros (The French Open), their inspirations, and how they’ve used their platforms for social change.

Her advice for others coping with challenges from disordered eating to alcoholism is to name it.

“When you own it, it actually dissipates at little. Then you have a chance to make it okay.”

Billie Jean King was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007, long after her professional tennis career ended. Reportedly she was not shocked by her diagnosis.

“It’s a wake-up call but I also knew from some of the people around me that you can live a great life, “says Billie Jean King. “You don’t have to let it defeat you. You can defeat it.”

Billie Jean King developed disorder eating issues at the age of 51. Eating disorders can also increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Binge eating disorder has been shown to increase insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which are risk factors for type 2.

A quick google search reveals diabetes puts people at risk of poor mental health because of the stress it can cause. People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes usually find that diabetes changes their relationship with food. Many people feel that they can no longer eat ‘intuitively‘ or eat in the same way as non-diabetic friends and family. Having a complicated relationship with food affects our enjoyment and the way we spend time with family or friends. In many cases, this can lead to disordered eating.

Patient. Com reports Eating disorders are far more common in people with type 1 diabetes than in people without diabetes. One review estimated that EDs were seen more than twice as frequently amongst girls and women with type 1.

People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing disordered eating. But new evidence-based interventions may have an answer.

In All In, Billie Jean King details her life’s journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career—six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, twenty Wimbledon championships, thirty-nine grand-slam titles, and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes.” She poignantly recalls the cultural backdrop of those years and the profound impact on her worldview from the women’s movement, the assassinations and anti-war protests of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and, eventually, the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

BUY NOW

Mr. Divabetic spotlights LGBTQAI+ people living with, affected by, and at risk of diabetes on June’s Divabetic podcast with music from Indigo Girls.

Research shows that LGBTQAI+  people have unique health disparities and worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts, related to diabetes care and education.

Guests include The Flood Girls & The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton Author Richard Fifield, and Mutha Chucka, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.

Marriage equality was a mere pipe dream when Indigo Girls duo Emily Saliers and Amy Ray came out in 1988, coinciding with the release of their eponymous Epic Records debut. With regard to popular entertainment, particularly within the music business, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray were at the forefront of the queer rights movement. They won a Grammy and released chart-toppers like Closer to Fine. And they refused to let their sexuality get in the way of their success, brazenly being themselves at a time when being a gay public figure was uncommon and even downright scary.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from their Indigo Girls album courtesy of SONY Music.