In their newly released documentary on Amazon Prime, Chasing Happiness, the Jonas Brothers opened up about Nick Jonas’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. It’s been 14 years since Nick received his diagnosis, and he’s learned how to keep his blood sugar in check. But before the family knew what was going on internally, they saw some disturbing external symptoms of the disorder.
One of the first things the brothers noticed about Nick was his irritability. Of course, being a teenager isn’t easy. But his mood swings became so severe that the family became increasingly concerned. Then there was Nick’s incessant thirst for soda.
“Every time we would stop [on the road] Nick would get this massive Big Gulp,” Kevin Jonas recounts in Chasing Happiness. Nick would reportedly drink so much water and soda that he would end up having to go to the bathroom “every 15 minutes.”
“It was like a running joke,” Joe Jonas added.
But then, the family decided they needed to take action when they realized that Nick had dropped a ton of weight. While changing for a show one night, Kevin recalled taking note of how thin his brother had become and remembered being able to see “every single bone in [Nick’s] body.”
Type 1 diabetes, which is Nick’s official diagnosis, is a chronic disorder in which the pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin, an essential hormone for sugar absorption necessary to create energy.
Besides extreme thirst, weight loss, increased urination, and mood swings, people with Type 1 diabetes may also show an increase in appetite, fatigue, and blurred vision, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Although there is no cure for Type 1 diabetes, a person with a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis can manage blood sugar levels with insulin injections, as well as through diet and lifestyle routines.
Nick has talked about his own journey with diabetes in several social media posts. “I have full control of my day to day life with this disease, and I’m so grateful to my family and loved ones who have helped me every step of the way,” he captioned a November 2018 Instagram post.
Although… Nick has run into issues with managing his diabetes in the past.
apparently 13-year-old nick jonas almost got arrested at a fall out boy show back in 2005 because security thought he was injecting drugs when he was actually checking his insulin level because of type 1 diabetes
— momina 🍉🍉🍉 (@exfolieate) February 24, 2019
Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy actually spilled the deets on this “scandal” in a 2013 interview with Billboard. As if being 13 years old isn’t hard enough!
Back in the early days, when JoBro fans learned Nick’s diagnosis, everyone came together in solidarity to fight the good fight with Nick. Like, we were all really involved.
my 13 yo sister: “Did you know Nick Jonas has diabetes?”
— ☆ cassandra ☆ (@cassafetian) June 7, 2019
me: “...whAT did you just ask me?”
sis: “don’t worry you learn more about it in their documentary”
me: “...OF COURSE I KNOW HE HAS DIABETES I’VE STANNED THE JONAS BROTHERS SINCE I WAS LIKE 8 YEARS OLD YOU JUST GOT HERE”
For the JoBros, the diagnosis meant Nick could finally manage his symptoms and regain some normalcy in life. But for preteen fans… it was dire.
me when i found out nick jonas had juvenile diabetes pic.twitter.com/EIf3uCRh8y
— 🐝 (@bullhornbitch) June 6, 2019
It’s not dumb. It was necessary to show your love and support.
when I was 13 I wore a replica of Nick Jonas’ dog tag that he wore to alert medical professionals that he had diabetes. I did not/do not have diabetes but wanted to support him and now I’m just sitting here in 2019 realizing how effing dumb I was
— mary arndt (@MaryPerson) June 6, 2019
All of us were racing to see who could find the cure first. Sure, we were still in sixth grade. But miracles can happen.
Thankfully, Type 1 diabetes is a disorder that can be closely monitored and managed. We wish we had done the research before shedding so many tears.
confession: in elementary I had a nick jonas poster inside a cabinet that i’d open up and stare at for a while bc I was obsessed and I’d cry bc I thought he was going to die because he had diabetes
— caro the cutie (@caro_munoz16) June 8, 2019
Good on you, pal. You put in the work.
Nick Jonas has been incredibly active in the Type 1 diabetes community, and is a cofounder of Beyond Type 1, a nonprofit organization that is “changing what it means to live with diabetes” by helping those with the diagnosis improve their daily lives. The organization also encompasses those living with Type 2 diabetes, a chronic illness in which the body cannot produce or properly use insulin.
Thanks to Nick’s openness and advocacy, many fans with the same diagnosis feel seen, and many others have become more educated on the chronic illness.
Watching @jonasbrothers #ChasingHappiness documentary & I would like to take a moment to thank @nickjonas for always spreading awareness about diabetes. My sister was diagnosed with type 1 on my 16th. At first it was so hard to come to terms with. You helped me understand! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/R18ZtB6DX5
— Perry Presents (@PerryPresents_) June 9, 2019
It’s comforting to know that you have someone with a platform in your corner. Representation is super important.
Check out Chasing Happiness on Amazon Prime to see the JoBros break down how they discovered Nick’s illness and how Nick is dealing with it in his day-to-day.
And, yeah — you’re probably going to cry.
Listening to @nickjonas talk about his diabetes on #ChasingHapiness pic.twitter.com/Mn68x0R75X
— Shelby Skinner (@CoolYoure) June 7, 2019
Keep up the great advocacy work, Nick. And if you have any concerns about the Type 1 diabetes symptoms mentioned, reach out to your doctor.
