'Grey's Anatomy' Star Debbie Allen Opens up about Her Life after Pre-diabetic Diagnosis

"Grey's Anatomy" star Debbie Allen got candid about how life has changed following her pre-diabetic diagnosis and how she was waiting for it to happen to her in an interview.

It might be hard to imagine why an active individual like Debbie Allen would live in constant fear of being diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes, but she had her reasons.

Allen's whole family was ravaged by Type 2 diabetes that highly affects the Black community. Seeing her father live with the malignant metabolic disease inspired her to keep dancing and keep up the active lifestyle.

In an interview with Johnson & Johnson, Allen opened up about what it was like to lose her father after seeing him struggle with diabetes for so long despite making some lifestyle changes.

"He tried to make some changes to his lifestyle, but the one thing I couldn't get him to do was exercise more."

Being a dancer, Allen knew she could motivate others to be active enough to manage their Type 2 diabetes. She said people who are living with chronic disease are more prone to COVID-19.

She has been dancing pretty much all her life, and it is unlikely she will stop anytime soon.

Speaking of her own diagnosis with Madame Noir, Allen said it was something she had always anticipated. She knew she was prone to diabetes, so Allen would always look for it as she aged.

"I was kind of expecting that it might happen. And when it did, it just set off an alarm that I had to get serious and really pay attention."

Allen is paying extra attention to her health. She eats a low fat, low cholesterol, and low salt diet. As she talked about being able to spend more time with family amid pandemic, she also revealed what her biggest problem is.

According to Allen, she rarely finds the time to think about herself. She said that in her list of priorities, she is always at the bottom, and that worries her.

Allen will not let diabetes stop her from living. She has been dancing pretty much all her life, and it is unlikely she will stop anytime soon. Work-wise, she plans to make "Hot Chocolate Nutcracker" into a feature film.

The 71-year-old feels like there are many stories to be told. She has plots that she has been working on for years. Allen also wants to collaborate with her sister, Phylicia Rashad, on some projects.