What public statements has Dr. Phil made about his diabetes management and associated partnerships?
Executive summary
Dr. Phil has publicly described living with Type 2 diabetes for more than 25 years, framing it as a manageable chronic condition that requires lifestyle changes, medical treatment and psychological support, and he has repeatedly tied that personal narrative to a formal partnership with AstraZeneca through the “ON IT” movement and related outreach [1] [2] [3]. His public statements emphasize six practical “rules,” regular diet and exercise, the role of a treatment team and occasional “slips,” and he has acknowledged using prescription therapy including BYDUREON as part of his regimen while promoting AstraZeneca-supported education efforts [2] [1] [4].
1. Diagnosis, duration and core message: diabetes is manageable, not shameful
Dr. Phil has said he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes more than 25 years ago and that the key takeaway from his experience is that, while the disease is not curable, it is “very manageable” if a person chooses to put in the effort, a theme he repeats in interviews and longform pieces where he stresses replacing bad habits with healthy eating, regular exercise, medication as needed, and blood‑sugar monitoring [5] [1] [6]. He consistently frames management as both medical and psychological, urging people to dismiss stigma and shame associated with Type 2 diabetes and to assemble a “crew” of support including nutritionists and family [2] [1].
2. The “ON IT” movement and the AstraZeneca partnership
Dr. Phil publicly launched and promoted the “ON IT” Movement in collaboration with AstraZeneca, describing the campaign as designed to help adults with Type 2 diabetes overcome psychological barriers, make a commitment to healthier habits, and create sustainable treatment plans, language reflected in AstraZeneca press releases and Dr. Phil’s own statements about the initiative [3] [4]. AstraZeneca’s corporate communications explicitly present the tie‑up as part of the company’s patient‑education efforts, quoting the company on empowering patients with resources and education and noting Dr. Phil’s role in sharing personal experience to reach millions living with the disease [3] [4].
3. Practical guidance: “6 Rules” and on‑air advice
Across his website, TV segments and campaign materials, Dr. Phil has articulated a set of practical rules—often summarized as six steps—to help people “Get ON IT,” which stress immediate action after a slip, goal reassessment, daily adherence to diet/exercise, and working with a healthcare provider to tailor treatment, and he has used on‑air segments to illustrate those points with patient examples [2] [7] [8]. Media appearances repeat his counsel that setbacks should prompt quick course correction—“new day, don’t spend a week feeling guilty”—and that management requires daily attention and a supportive treatment team [8] [2].
4. Medication and disclosed treatments: BYDUREON and a personalized plan
Dr. Phil has said he has been on multiple treatments since diagnosis and that, working with his treatment team alongside diet and exercise, he has managed his Type 2 diabetes since 2012 with a plan that has included BYDUREON, a medication specifically named in corporate and campaign materials tied to the AstraZeneca collaboration [4] [3]. Those disclosures appear in press materials about the ON IT campaign and in bios summarizing his treatment history, presented as part of an individualized, physician‑guided regimen rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all solution [4] [3].
5. Tone, audience and potential conflicts of interest
Dr. Phil frames his diabetes work as a “passion project” focused on psychology and behavior change, language he used when describing AstraZeneca’s interest in partnering to address the psychological obstacles to management [6]. That same public messaging is also entangled with corporate PR: AstraZeneca’s press releases promote the campaign and the company’s patient‑education role, and campaign materials name a specific company‑marketed therapy, which signals both public‑health aims and a commercial interest in the partnership—an implicit agenda visible in the sources themselves [3] [4].
6. Gaps and what the reporting does not show
The provided reporting documents Dr. Phil’s personal statements, campaign spokesmanship and specific mention of BYDUREON, but it does not supply independent clinical outcome data, detailed timelines of his glycemic control or medical records, nor does it contain critical external evaluations of the ON IT campaign’s public‑health impact, so conclusions are limited to the public claims and corporate materials cited [4] [3] [1].