Nick Jonas is opening up about the complicated emotions of living with type 1 diabetes, admitting that even after 21 years, he sometimes resents the changes it has brought to his life.
The 34-year-old Jonas Brothers singer shared those feelings in an open letter for Dexcom’s A Letter to Diabetes campaign, which launched November 2 in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month.
Jonas is a paid spokesperson for the glucose-monitoring company. His contribution addresses the condition directly, describing the demands that have become familiar alongside the feelings he still finds difficult.
The letter also considers the people he has met by discussing his health publicly. He explains why he continues sharing his experiences with younger people who may be frightened about what a diagnosis means for their future.
Jonas Says Diabetes Challenged His Belief That He Could Control Everything
In the letter published by Dexcom, Jonas recalls building his life around structure and the belief that he could stay in control. Diabetes disrupted that understanding, gradually forcing him to accept uncertainty even when he had planned carefully.
He acknowledges feeling grateful for that lesson, then allows himself a less reassuring admission. “Part of me resents you for it. Full stop,” he wrote. There are days, he adds, when he wonders what his life would feel like without the condition.
Jonas describes checking glucose readings on his phone and reaching for his insulin pump before eating, taking the food’s carbohydrate content into account. Those actions are among hundreds of decisions he says he makes each week, often unnoticed by the people around him.
Some days, he feels that his body and his efforts are working together. On others, the results remain unpredictable despite his care. He compares the relationship to family: there can be arguments and frustration within something that remains a constant presence.
Joe Jonas Noticed His Weight Loss Before the Diagnosis at 13
Jonas was diagnosed in November 2005, as he and brothers Joe and Kevin were beginning their professional music careers. In a 2023 interview with STAT, he recalled performing at schools in the Northeast while his health deteriorated. Along with physical symptoms, his family noticed changes in his mood that they initially associated with becoming a teenager.
During a July 2025 appearance on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast, Jonas described losing weight, drinking excessive amounts of water and frequently needing the bathroom. He did not recognize those experiences as signs of diabetes at the time.
Joe became especially concerned when the brothers went to a pool in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Seeing how thin Nick had become, he contacted their parents and urged them to come. Kevin also recalled how pronounced his younger brother’s weight loss had been.
In the interview, covered by PEOPLE, Nick said his blood glucose was above 900 mg/dL when he received medical care. He spent several days in the hospital and credited his doctors with helping him return to the stage within about a week of diagnosis.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. People with the condition need insulin treatment and ongoing glucose management. For Jonas, learning those responsibilities became part of growing up while his band’s career was taking off.
Sharing His Story Helped Him Find Community and Connect Through Music
Jonas writes that he often felt misunderstood at school and struggled to find a place where he belonged. Speaking openly about type 1 diabetes introduced him to people who understood this part of his life, giving him a connection he had found difficult to establish elsewhere.
“I never wanted to be a victim, or to come across like one,” he wrote. He imagines a newly diagnosed 13-year-old lying in a hospital bed, frightened about what comes next. That is the person he wants to reach by showing that a life with ambitions and achievements can continue alongside diabetes management.
His advocacy extends beyond personal statements. Jonas co-founded Beyond Type 1 in 2015. The nonprofit provides education, community support and advocacy for people affected by diabetes, including resources for those navigating a new diagnosis.
He has also brought those experiences into his music. At the Jonas Brothers’ August 20, 2026, concert at Madison Square Garden, he sat at a piano wearing a decorated medical identification tag and reflected on writing “A Little Bit Longer,” the band’s 2008 song about his diagnosis.
As PEOPLE reported at the time, Jonas described writing the ballad as a way to work through what had happened to him, similar to keeping a journal. He later realized that being open about the experience helped him connect with listeners facing difficulties of their own.
During that concert, he also imagined reassuring his younger self about the years ahead. He told the audience he would want that teenager to know how much he had to look forward to and said he was in the best health of his life.
The Campaign Invites Letters From Patients, Families and Caregivers
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Jonas promoted the initiative on Instagram on its launch day, encouraging people to express thoughts they had carried privately for years. His invitation included those newly diagnosed, people who had lived with diabetes for decades and relatives or caregivers supporting someone else.
The campaign features several perspectives beyond his own. As Fierce Pharma reported, contributors include Chris Megino, who shares his experiences with type 2 diabetes online, and Chelsea Lugone, a nurse practitioner and diabetes care and education specialist at Dexcom.
Lugone lives with type 1 diabetes and has two children with the condition. Her letter discusses the difference between managing her own health and watching her children face similar responsibilities. Megino’s contribution reflects on persistence, family support and recognizing progress during difficult periods.
The initiative also coincides with World Diabetes Day on November 14. Submissions are open throughout November, and participants can share their experiences through writing, photographs, audio or video. The campaign website states that contributions are reviewed before appearing online and that not every submission will be published.