![“I just felt awful. I was perspiring and felt really lethargic."](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/7f/ff/1362408869_8511_Untitled.jpg?itok=IGwfg32L "“I just felt awful. I was perspiring and felt really lethargic."")
"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson says being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003 prompted him to undergo gastric-bypass surgery. He has since lost 110 pounds, which he maintains with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
"I look back at the first couple of seasons [of 'American Idol'] and ask myself what was going on," Jackson told The Doctors. "It's a great reminder to me to show how far I've come."
The 5-foot-8 Randy, who once topped at scales at 355 pounds, wasn't surprised when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003. Jackson knew he had contributed to his bad health by eating poorly and being inactive.
"I'm from the lovable 'Dirty South,' where everything is fried," he says. "Every dish starts with a stick of butter and a cup of sugar. And that's only for the veggies."
The diabetes diagnosis was the wake-up call Jackson needed to overhaul his unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle. Now healthier than ever, Randy, 56, hopes to inspire other diabetics to take control of their health.
“I realized a lot of things that can happen if you don’t manage it, which is why I encourage everyone to do so,” he said.
