Billie Jean King Talks About Disordered Eating in Her New Autobiography “All In”

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.

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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.

31 Days of Divabetic Podcasts, Day Twenty Nine

Divabetic (Divabetic.org) presents a month-long showcase celebrating 10 years of diabetes podcasting. Each of the featured podcasts spotlights our favorite guests, topics, poems, games and/or musical inspiration. Enjoy!

On Day 29, we’re spotlighting Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Ricky Martin podcast from June 2019.

We’re talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ with musical inspiration from Ricky Martin.

Since Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he’s been a prominent voice for LGBT rights both in the U.S. and in his native Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin said, “I just wanna be free,” upon receiving GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, which honors gay entertainers who promote equal rights. Martin opened up his life to Vanity Fair in its April 2012 issue and spoke candidly about his twins, Matteo and Valentino, and his longtime partner, Carlos Gonzalez.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Uprising (June 29, 1969). It is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement.

Diabetes can have a serious psychological and emotional impact, and can affect self-management as well as the individual’s quality of life.  It has been reported that low levels of self-esteem have been associated with diabetes and diabetes management. Evidence shows that self-esteem can be a key factor influencing health care behaviors.

Low self-esteem is the prime driver of self-harm among gay and lesbian students reports Psychology Today.

For the first time, a new study, “Psychological Correlates of Self-Harm within Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual UK University Students,” reports that low self-esteem may have a bigger influence on self-injury behaviors than depression or anxiety.

How does being gay or bisexual affect your diabetes self-care? And what’s it like to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender living with diabetes?

As an openly gay man, Mr. Divabetic is honored to shine the spotlight on members from the LGBTQ+ community living with diabetes. Guests include Stephen Bernstein, Greg Rubin, Maria Salazar, Maya James and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

 

 

Our monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their health care providers, a translator of clinical speak and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence

Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.

Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org

Diabetes Late Nite Podcast Inspired by Indigo Girls

We’re talking about how to open up with friends, co-workers and family members about your diagnosis and self-care needs with musical inspiration from Indigo Girls on June’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tueday, June 9, 2020, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST. TUNE IN

Opening up to people and explaining how diabetes affects your daily life can be a game changer – for everyone. Sharing your diabetes life and explaining your needs will help you feel less alone with your diabetes.

“Just hearing the words out loud can help you process your thoughts. It can stop you feeling locked in a cycle of worry and make you less anxious,” states Diabetes U.K

“When talking about your diabetes, reassure your friend or family member that they’re fine to come back to you with anything else they might want to talk about,” state our friends at Diabetes U.K. “Allow them to think about what you’ve told them before talking again.”

The downside of telling friends, co-workers, lovers and family members about your condition is the barrage of unwelcome comments like ‘should you be eating that?’ at holidays, social events, date nights and meetings. “This can be annoying or hurtful, but more often than not the intention comes from a good place,” states Diabetes U.K. “Just politely remind them that it’s your diabetes, and you know how to look after yourself.”

It’s important to know that emotional and psychological support are an essential part of any and every diabetes wellness program. It’s ok to seek out and/or ask for this kind of support from your healthcare team.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been making music as the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls for over 25 years. Three of their 16 albums have gone gold, four have gone platinum, and they’ve been nominated for seven Grammys.

Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Indigo Girls

Guests include Dr. Andrea Chisholm (OBGYN), ‘The Flood Girls’ Author Richard Fifield, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, BETTY Band Member, Singer, Songwriter Amy Ziff, ‘Open Up Your Bag’ Diabetes Picture Book Author Mike Lawson, and Poet Lorraine Brooks.