Dr. Phil opens up about his 25-year battle with type 2 diabetes as he launches new campaign aimed at helping others fight the chronic illness 

Dr. Phil McGraw has opened up about his battle with type two diabetes – and revealed he keeps the condition under control by eating every three hours and playing tennis six times a week.

The 65-year-old chat show host was diagnosed with the chronic illness 25 years ago after being left baffled by his constant energy swings and bouts of light-headedness.

But, in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online, he says he has found ways to overcome the trauma of his diagnosis and now hopes to help others do the same.

‘I was very much athletic at the time - I worked out every day but I was just having these big swings in energy,’ he explained.

‘You know when you just kind of hit a wall? I was just on a regular basis, all of a sudden, running out of energy and I couldn’t understand it. For no reason, I would just get really light-headed.

Dr. Phil McGraw has opened up about his battle with type two diabetes and revealed how he keeps the chronic illness under control by eating every three hours and playing tennis six times a week. Above he is pictured with his wife, Robin

The 65-year-old chat show host was diagnosed with the chronic illness 25 years ago after being left baffled by his constant energy swings and bouts of light-headedness 

‘So I just went and had a really thorough [medical] exam and they came out and said there’s good news and bad news.

‘The bad news is you do have a disease and it’s not curable. The good news is that it’s very manageable if you’re just willing to do some things.

‘But I was actually relieved to know what was going on – particularly when they said it was manageable. I was just glad it was something I could do something about.’

Now, the TV star is hoping to help other diabetes sufferers to take control of their illness and has launched a campaign aimed at combating the ‘epidemic’ of type two in the US and worldwide.

Dr Phil, who has two sons Jay, 36, and Jordan, 29, with his wife Robin, 62, also wants to end the guilt that many sufferers feel – pointing out that many cases, his own included, are due to genetic predisposition rather than lifestyle factors.

But, in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online, he says he has found ways to overcome the trauma of his diagnosis and now hopes to help others do the same

Now, the TV star is hoping to help other diabetes sufferers to take control of their illness and has launched a campaign aimed at combating the ‘epidemic’ of type two in the US and worldwide

‘On both sides of my family, I had people who did have diabetes and were all type two, adult onset and they were morbidly obese, so I was totally predisposed to it,’ he explains.

‘I certainly do [worry that my sons will get it] because there’s that family history and that’s such an important factor in developing type two diabetes.

‘So I’ve talked to my two boys about it and I’ve told them about keeping an eye on their cholesterol and sugar intake and they’re good about it.’

The new campaign, which is called On It and has been launched in partnership with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, also aims to show people how to overhaul their lifestyles – and, for the 86 million Americans deemed at risk of diabetes, avoid developing the illness altogether.

In Dr Phil’s case, that meant putting an end to the risky combination of long hours, eating nothing during the day and consuming a large meal just before going to bed that was his lifestyle prior to being diagnosed with the condition.

‘I used to go all day without eating and then eat a big meal at night because I was so busy,’ he disclosed.

‘Well now, I can still eat the same number of calories but I spread them out into small meals every three to four hours instead.

‘Once I made those changes, suddenly, all those big energy swings went away and I started sleeping better.

‘But I’ve had to really change my pattern. I still exercise on a regular basis, I work with a trainer two or three mornings a week, I play tennis six or seven days a week and that exercise has been really important.

‘Eating in a regular way is another thing – eating often instead of having big meals and going and sitting on the couch. I started making these changes and I got everything under control.

According to Dr Phil, ways to avoid developing diabetes can be as simple as taking a walk after dinner and cutting down on sugar, and he also suggests taking the stairs whenever possible

He added: ‘You have to do that. You’ve got to get educated. Then, you’ve got to build a team with a doctor, a nutritionist, an exercise trainer, your spouse and other family members.

‘You’ve got to make a plan and get rid of bad habits – for me, I was doing feast or famine. Once you do that, then you can get it under control.’

According to Dr Phil, ways to avoid developing diabetes can be as simple as taking a walk after dinner and cutting down on sugar, and he also suggests taking the stairs whenever possible.

‘I think you’ve got to change those bad habits, where you don’t do feast and famine, you don’t go sit on the couch after you’ve eaten,’ he says.

‘Then, why take the elevator when you can walk up two or three flights of stairs instead?

He continued: ‘Sugar is just not your friend when you’re diabetic so you really have to eliminate that if you can.

For those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes, Dr Phil says the first thing to do is to stop feeling guilty and recognize that genetics play a part – and then make a plan to get healthy

‘But listen, you don’t have to do it all at one time. You can just make small changes and they really add up over time.’

For those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes, Dr Phil says the first thing to do is to stop feeling guilty and recognize that genetics play a part – and then make a plan to get healthy.

‘You’ve got to have a plan because you can’t do this by willpower alone,’ he says. ‘You’ve got to recognize that this is my new normal, I’ve got to stick to this.

‘This isn’t a ra ra rally for a few days, this is your life. This is your new normal and you really have to stick with it.’