More than 29 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and nearly one-third of them don’t know they have it.

I grew up with my cousin who had Diabetes and I remember my Nana always being so worried about her throughout her life. My cousin managed her Diabetes well, she still does… but it was something I learned about very early because of her.

Many people have heard of diabetes but they may not understand the complex details behind the disease or how it’s properly managed. This is what prompted Novo Nordisk to partner with YouTube sensation Michael Stevens to create a video series, “Breaking Down Diabetes.”

Breaking Down Diabetes is a first of its kind video series that takes a look at the complex disease, Diabetes.

In case you haven’t heard of Michael Stevens… he is the creator of the wildly popular channel Vsauce, is known for his entertaining approach to explaining the science behind seemingly ordinary, everyday phenomena, and for making complex science simple. In “Breaking Down Diabetes,” Michael takes on the science behind the disease to educate the public.

I simply love this series.

I think it’s so important for people to understand and process what Diabetes is… Michael shares the information in such a fun and digestible way, which – as a mom – I appreciate for my own kids in trying to teach them, too.

I had the chance to interview Michael Stevens about being part of this…

1) What gave you the inspiration to start your YouTube Channel?
I’ve always been an inquisitive person. I love to ask questions and share the things I learn with others. I am all about breaking misconceptions – that has always been my main drive. That’s why I love making the videos I make for Vsauce, and why I was excited to work on “Breaking Down Diabetes” with Novo Nordisk.

2) Why science?
Science has always been a passion of mine. There is always an answer based in science, even for the silly type of questions like the ones I tackle on Vsauce. My background is in neuropsychology, the actual biology of why our brain works a specific way. I also have a background with theater, and I did informative speaking when I was younger. I love helping to explain things in a way that people can easily understand.

3) What do you hope that people get out of this?
First, I want the videos to help break some of the misconceptions that people have about diabetes, and help them to understand the disease better. I think we all would say we know what diabetes is. Before I started researching for these videos, I thought I knew what diabetes was, but I quickly learned there was a lot I didn’t know. Most of all, I hope that these videos help people with diabetes to better understand what’s going on in their bodies and how to manage their disease, and do so by watching a fun, quirky video that they want to come back to and share.

4) Why did you partner with Novo Nordisk?
Novo Nordisk is such a big name in the diabetes space, and they have lots of good content and tips on their Cornerstones4Care patient support platform. It was great to partner with them because they have deep history in diabetes, and they have strong relationships with experts like diabetes educators to help inform the content. They came up with great topics and background for the six videos, and I added in my own “Michael Stevens” touch.

5) Why diabetes?
I decided to partner with Novo Nordisk on these videos after learning that the science behind diabetes can be really difficult to understand. It’s such an interesting disease. It’s not like others where there’s a straightforward path once you’re diagnosed. You have to manage it, make sure you’re eating right, participate in some sort of physical activity, talk to your doctor and watch your blood sugar numbers. It’s involved, and different for each person.

Diabetes is also something that touches us all. Everyone knows someone who has diabetes; for me, it’s my grandfather. Also, when I heard that 1/3 of people in the US with diabetes don’t even know they have it, I immediately knew that I needed to talk about this.

6) What makes these videos different from what else is out there?
There are a lot of good diabetes resources out there, but in these videos, I break down the science behind the disease in an entertaining and simple way so that people can truly grasp what’s happening in their bodies and why managing diabetes is so important. These videos are informative, memorable and really sharable. I hope that people will find them to be a fun way to learn about diabetes. It’s diabetes education – Vsauce-style.

A HUGE special thank you to Michael!!

And PLEASE check out the amazing webisode series – The Diabetes Download.