Olympic viewers are wondering if Simone Biles has diabetes after she appeared in a commercial for a diabetic medication called Mounjaro.
Does Simone Biles Have Diabetes?
No, she does not. However, Simone's adoptive mother , Nellie Biles , suffers from type 2 diabetes.
Why Do Fans Think Simone Biles Might Have Diabetes?
The gold medalist has been an advocate of others living with the disease. She appeared in a commercial for Lilly medicine's Mounjaro, an FDA-approved drug used to manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
"My daughter works hard and so do people with type 2 diabetes. But if their efforts aren't enough, would people do diabetes differently? They can with once-weekly Mounjaro," Nellie narrated over video of Simone, before appearing in the ad herself.
She continued to discuss the medication while video played of Simone doing a floor exercise routine and members of the audience applauded.
The Ohio native was then seen signing autographs and accepting flowers from adoring fans. The mother and daughter were shown together at the end of the ad, as Simone exclaimed, "You can do diabetes differently with Mounjaro."
While Nellie doesn't take Mounjaro, she wanted to encourage other diabetics to talk to their doctor about treatment options.
The commercial began airing during summer 2024 ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics , which held its opening ceremony on July 26, 2024.
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"I received my type 2 diabetes diagnosis in my early fifties — so when I think back to that time, that definitely was a defining moment for me. In a way I was not surprised, simply because I do have family members that also have type 2 diabetes," Nellie told The Healthy in a June 28, 2024, interview after her and Simone's partnership with Mounjaro was announced.
Besides doing proper things for her own health, "There’s also a family that still needs to be taken care of. My family are definitely aware of the fact that I have type 2 diabetes, and so our lifestyle has changed somewhat," she continued. "I cook healthy foods , and I definitely make sure that for me, I manage my portion size. So when I am cooking, when I’m serving food — I mean the main thing is to try and make sure that what we do as a family doesn’t change."
Is Simone Biles Adopted by Her Parents? Inside Her Complicated Family Nellie also explained how Simone looks out for her when it comes to her diet. "When we travel, and before we get on the airplane and Simone is picking up her junk to snack on the plane, she will pick up things for me — but she will make sure that they’re healthy options that she’s choosing for me so that I could also have something to snack on," the Texas resident told the outlet.
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Play now "I will say that what I admire is the fact Simone is consistent and she’s dedicated to her sport. So, when I’m watching her, I can see that she is achieving her goal with that dedication and with that consistency," Nellie explained. "So I sort of try to mirror that with what I do in terms of my lifestyle to make sure that I myself am also consistent — with my eating habits and my exercise, with making sure that I follow up and consult with my physician to make sure that I again achieve my goals, which would be to maintain my A1C level."
While diabetes runs in Nellie's family, she's not Simone's biological mother. The champion athlete was adopted by her paternal grandfather, Ron Biles , and his wife, Nellie, in 2001 after Simone's mother , Ron's daughter Shanon Biles , was unable to care for her.
“My parents saved me. They’ve set huge examples of how to treat other people, and they’ve been there to support me since day one. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough," Simone shared while explaining her adoption story when she competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2017.
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