Randy Jackson Takes Aim at Diabetes

Jackson said that after his diagnosis, "the hardest thing to change was what I grew up with in Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- southern cooking."

All the sweet foods he loves and southern classic dishes like gumbo are no longer part of his diet, replaced with healthier food and a treadmill in his bedroom.

"I need to see the treadmill in my bedroom so I can stumble over to it," he quipped.

But Jackson urges everyone with diabetes to go at their own pace to improve their health -- and not get discouraged.

"The thing about being overweight is that you don't really want to work out, so I tell people, 'Just walk around the block 12 times,' " he said.

More information

Visit The Heart of Diabetes to learn about the disease and tell your own story.