Angie Stone made her career debut in 1979, and over four decades later, she is still relevant. On 19th May 2023, Angie released her tenth solo studio album, Love Language, which featured a collaboration with Swayvo Train, Angie’s son.
Angie Stone lost weight to manage her Type II Diabetes diagnosis
In 1999, Angie Stone sought medical help when her legs cramped up during a trip to an amusement park, limiting her movement. The singer had also been urinating more frequently than normal. Angie was concerned but didn’t think she was a candidate for diabetes.
“I was always on the go, and thought I was too busy to develop something like this,” Angie told BET. “I thought that at the time that diabetes went along with bad habits, but I was the last one in my family to eat junk food.” However, Angie’s family had a history of diabetes, increasing her likelihood of developing the disease. “My mom was a diabetic,” Angie said. “Her sister was a diabetic, so I was already a candidate.”
Angie initially protested the diagnosis. “You go through a period of denial before you accept that you need to change your lifestyle,” Angie told ESSENCE. Angie refined her diet and began a weight-loss regimen. She famously appeared on Celebrity Fit Club, which didn’t help her shed much weight. However, it showed her that she had to work hard to hit a healthy weight. She told BlackDoctor.org:
“When I was doing Celebrity Fit Club, I took on that show as a challenge to myself. Reality TV is not always reality TV. Once I came to understand that, hey, you really have to work hard because this is not what it’s chalked up to be, I was more determined than ever at that point to lose the weight.”
Angie’s healthy diet includes yams, collard greens, spaghetti, cabbage, ox tails, and steak. She shuns candy – which she’s never loved – juices and soda. Angie told BlackDoctor.org that she makes adjustments on trips or on tour to make sure she eats healthy meals:
“I’ve challenged myself to be [a] healthier person by proportioning my food properly, exercising and just being careful. Especially because I travel a lot, I make sure wherever I go, if I feel that the menu does not coincide with what I’m used to eating, that I find the healthiest way out when I’m on the road.”
Angie is a spokesperson for the F.A.C.E Diabetes campaign to raise awareness about the disease in the black community
Angie’s diagnosis exposed her to the reality that diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans. It is one of the leading causes of death among African American women. After learning how to live with the disease, Angie signed up as a spokesperson for the Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered (F.A.C.E) to raise awareness about the disease.
“When I was first diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago, I was in total denial about my disease and its impact on my life. I didn’t understand the importance of following my doctor’s treatment program and making lifestyle changes to better manage my diet and my weight,” Angie told lilly.com.
“But through trial and error and working with my healthcare team, my diabetes is finally under control. I’ve signed on as the national spokesperson for the F.A.C.E. Diabetes campaign because I want to be an example and encourage our community to get active and fearlessly face diabetes.”
Dr. Eugene Wright praised the impact of campaigns like F.A.C.E Diabetes and the commitment of celebrities like Angie Stone. “The disproportionate impact of diabetes on African-Americans is staggering,” Dr. Wright said. “However, just because there is a high prevalence in our community, it doesn’t mean we should accept diabetes as something we can’t change.”