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Nick Jonas has written about the mixed feelings he has toward type 1 diabetes, including moments when he resents the condition and wishes he could live without it. In a letter for Dexcom’s A Letter to Diabetes initiative, he said speaking openly has helped him feel a sense of belonging and may help newly diagnosed people feel less alone.
Nick Jonas has described sometimes resenting type 1 diabetes and wondering what life would be like without it, while saying that talking openly about the condition helped him find a sense of belonging. The singer shared the reflection in an open letter for Dexcom’s A Letter to Diabetes project, which features people with diabetes discussing their experiences.
Jonas, who said he was diagnosed at age 13, framed diabetes as an ongoing part of everyday life rather than a single event. In the letter, he described checking his glucose on his phone and using his pump to calculate a bolus before eating. Those repeated decisions, he wrote, amount to a continuing exchange involving his body, mind and medical devices.
He also wrote about how the condition challenged his expectations of control. As a teenager, he said, diabetes’ unpredictability disrupted the structure he had built around his life. “Part of me is grateful I learned that lesson. Part of me resents you for it. Full stop,” he wrote, adding that there are days he wonders what life might feel like without the disease.
Jonas said that his feelings are not only negative. He recalled struggling to feel that he belonged while growing up, then finding connection through conversations with other people living with type 1 diabetes. He said he shares his experience so a young person newly diagnosed can see someone managing the condition while pursuing a career and other ambitions.
Why Jonas Chose to Speak Out
Jonas’s letter gives a public account of the routine work and emotional complexity involved in living with type 1 diabetes. His remarks do not present the condition as something he has simply made peace with: he describes frustration alongside gratitude and connection. That distinction may matter to readers who recognize that a person can manage a chronic condition while still resenting its demands.
He also explains a specific reason for discussing his health publicly: he hopes young people who have just received a diagnosis will see someone with the same condition continuing to pursue his goals. His account is a personal perspective, not medical guidance, but it illustrates how visibility and peer connection can shape the experience of living with a long-term illness.
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Two Decades With Type 1 Diabetes
Jonas said in the letter that it had been 21 years since his diagnosis. He has also discussed the experience in interviews and onstage. During a Jonas Brothers performance at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 20, 2026, he spoke about writing the song “Gut Punch” as a way to work through an experience, describing the song as similar to a journal entry. He said sharing the story later helped him connect more deeply with the audience.
In a July 2025 appearance on Penn Badgley’s podcast, Podcrushed, Jonas recalled losing weight, drinking a lot of water and urinating frequently before he was diagnosed. He said he did not understand those symptoms at the time. He also recalled that his brother Joe noticed his weight loss while they were on tour and alerted their parents. Jonas said his blood glucose was above 900 when he went to a doctor; the account was his recollection in the interview.
The letter was part of A Letter to Diabetes, an initiative by Dexcom that invites people with diabetes to share personal accounts. The project was timed around National Diabetes Awareness Month in November and World Diabetes Day, observed annually on Nov. 14.
What the Letter Does Not Address
The letter is a personal reflection, not a detailed account of Jonas’s current medical care. It does not specify his present glucose-management targets, treatment plan, or how often he experiences particular symptoms or complications. His remarks about resentment describe his own feelings and should not be read as a measure of how every person with type 1 diabetes experiences the condition.
The source account also does not provide a response from Dexcom beyond describing the initiative, or details about other participants in the project. Jonas’s account of his diagnosis and early symptoms comes from his own recollections; the material does not independently document his medical records.
More Personal Accounts Expected in November
Jonas said he plans to keep sharing his experience and telling the truth about living with type 1 diabetes. The letter’s publication is tied to November awareness activities, including World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. The source does not state whether Jonas has announced another related project or appearance, so any further plans remain unconfirmed.
Key Questions
What did Nick Jonas say he resents about diabetes?
Jonas said he sometimes resents how type 1 diabetes disrupted his expectations of control and requires ongoing attention. He also wrote that he sometimes wonders what life would feel like without the condition.
When was Nick Jonas diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?
Jonas said he was diagnosed at age 13. In his letter, he described the diagnosis as having been 21 years earlier.
Why did Jonas share the letter?
He said speaking openly helped him connect with other people living with type 1 diabetes. He also hopes a young person who has just been diagnosed can see someone with the condition pursuing his ambitions.
What is A Letter to Diabetes?
It is a Dexcom initiative that invites people with diabetes, including celebrities, to share personal accounts of their health experiences. The project is associated with National Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day.
Source: people.com
