Damon Wayans Urges Fans Not to Ignore This Hidden Diabetes Risk (Exclusive)

Comedy icon Damon Wayans was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2008. Now, he is teaming up with Genentech and diaTribe as he serves as the spokesperson for "All Eyes on DME," a campaign designed to bring attention to a very real risk for people with diabetes. It uses the humor that has made generations of fans love Wayans to start the conversation that could help people protect their vision for years.

The campaign seeks to spread awareness and destigmatize diabetic macular edema (DME), a serious and commonly overlooked eye complication of diabetes that can cause complete vision loss. People of color are two to three times more likely to develop it, which is an extremely troubling disparity that the campaign aims to address. Fortunately, the "All Eyes on DME" website provides people at risk with tools to learn about the condition proactively. That is important because its effect can be delayed or even reversed if caught and treated early enough. While speaking to Men's Journal, Wayans explained the goal of the campaign and why he became its spokesperson.

Why Damon Wayans Is Speaking Out About DME Now

Men’s Journal: What about this specific “All Eyes on DME” campaign made you want to be part of it?

Damon Wayans: I had been doing interviews and stuff to promote my show Poppa’s House, and I was talking about my journey with diabetes. I was just answering questions about it, basically. But the people from Genentech and diaTribe came to me, and said, “Hey, would you want to be a spokesperson for this campaign that we're doing called All Eyes on DME?” And I was like, “Yeah.”

The funny thing is, sometimes it’s God talking. Lately, I’ve been having some depth perception issues with my sight. I’ve been tripping up steps and bumping into walls. It’s like I see it, but I’m not making the connection. So I don’t know what it is. But after doing a panel on DME last night, I’m going to go get my eyes checked as soon as I get back to L.A.

Men’s Journal: Is there something about Genentech and diaTribe as companies that made you want to partner with them on this “All Eyes on DME” campaign? Did something about what they regularly do or what they’re trying to accomplish with this campaign make you want to work with them?

Damon Wayans: Yeah. I absolutely love the fact that Genentech is working on cutting-edge technology for creating medications and treatments for life-threatening diseases. Knowing that diaTribe is active in the community and trying to educate people about vision loss and available treatments is important. You know, this is something that we Black folks and people of color kind of shy away from because we don't want to be viewed as weak or whatever it is. We're very reluctant to go get checkups.

If I can lend my voice to tell people that I’m not afraid to go get checked, and it’s better to know than not to know. During the panel I sat on last night, a woman said she had symptoms, and then one day she blinked and couldn’t see anymore. It’s like, “Wow!” She regrets not having taken action when she could have. She believes she probably could have done something to see longer.

So, it's very informative, and I'm very grateful to be a part of it because I think it's very important, because people of color are three times, two to three times more likely to develop DME. That's only because they don't go to the doctor. And that's what the campaign is about. Go to the doctor. Do the research. Learn what treatments there are and seek them out.

Men’s Journal: This campaign seeks to inform people that DME is a very real risk that comes with having been diagnosed with diabetes, and that a lot of people do skip their yearly appointments to get their eyes checked. I have to say, I’m one of those people who tries to avoid going to the doctor like the plague. So what would you say to people who have that same instinct and are at higher risk of developing DME?

Damon Wayans: I think that people need to know that, you know, inaction is not an option. Right? You can fear the worst and the worst can happen, or you can fear the worst, go see what's happening, and then get some hope that there's a way to fix this, to reverse this, or to control it. But if you do nothing and you are developing it, guess what? It's going to get worse. It doesn't get better automatically. That's just the reality.

Men’s Journal: Since you are a comedy icon, do you think there’s something about the affection people feel for you and the things you’ve accomplished that makes you the right person to get the word out about this kind of campaign?

Damon Wayans: I think the fact that I use humor to, you know, broach subjects that are sometimes uncomfortable is probably appealing to people for a topic like this. It makes it a little more palatable to hear something coming from a comedian, as opposed to coming from a doctor or some other authority figure who you feel like they're wagging their finger at you and making you feel dumb about not getting the treatment. I use myself as being the dumb one. I'm the dumb one. Don't be like me is basically what I'm saying.

Men’s Journal: As someone who has had a diabetes journey, have there been any lifestyle changes you’ve made that significantly improved your ability to manage your health?

Damon Wayans: Absolutely. The first thing I did to change my life was adjust my diet. Protein and vegetables are pretty much all I eat now. Once in a while, I have a little brown rice. My brother, Keenan, said to me, “If you don't eat sugar, you won't have a sugar problem.” That’s not so, but the concept of it is right. If you stop eating the stuff you know is bad and start working out, moving more, you can get it under control. So right now, I'm pre-diabetic, but when I first got diagnosed, my sugar was at 535. That's high. I've brought that down to my average is like 121 or 122. That's great.

Men’s Journal: As somebody who has gone through that journey, do you have any advice you would give to someone who is pre-diabetic or fears they might be pre-diabetic but is avoiding finding out?

Damon Wayans: If you fear it, it's probably going to come get you because you're not doing anything and you don't feel the urgency to make changes. When you find out you got it, then that light comes on. You go, “Well, what are you going to do now?” You're pushed against the wall, and now you’ve got to come out fighting because the disease will get you. Other things can happen if you don't get your lifestyle under control, things like diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.  Knowledge is power. Once you know, you can operate from there. You can do all your Chinese herbs and all the other stuff because you know what you're fighting.

Men’s Journal: Do you have one takeaway that you really hope people get out of this campaign?

Damon Wayans: Yeah. I hope people go to alleyesondme.com and just do research. Educate yourself and then go see a doctor. It's better to go see the doctor and know that's what you have, or not what you have. Sometimes there's good news when you go to the doctor. Or you go there, and they go, “This is what you have.” And then you can say, “Well, what can I do to control this? Right. That's the next question. Go there with questions so that you come out with answers. Otherwise, you just sit in ignorance, and it’s going to get you.