To Normalize Type 1 Diabetes and Insulin Pumps, Lila Moss Walks Runway Showing Her Pump

Body positivity is the celebration and acceptance of our bodies—regardless of weight, color, or gender. Supermodel Kate Moss' daughter, Lila Grace Moss, took body positivity a step further as she walked the runway proudly showing her insulin pump located on her outer thigh. Showing that real people have medical conditions too. Lila Grace Moss has type 1 diabetes and wears the pump to control the disease.

Opening Up About Type 1 Diabetes

Her gold, baroque-style jacket and bodysuit by Fendi and Versace weren't her only statement during the 2021 Milan Fashion Week. 19-year-old Moss' insulin pump, which is on the outside of her left thigh, was also visible as she made her way down the catwalk. She shared images of the event in an Instagram photo post.

Moss first opened up about her health in August 2020. She shared in an interview with The Kit that she had type 1 diabetes: "I think not many people know that I have diabetes. It's not visible from the outside, so no one would really know just by looking at you. I have type 1," she said.

Pervalance of Type 1 Diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that 23 million Americans have diabetes. But the most common type of the disease is the later onset—Type 2 diabetes. Per the CDC, 5.8% of all diabetes cases are type 1 in origin.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition is often diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. It happens when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar at a healthy level. There's no cure for diabetes, so people control their blood sugar with insulin medication—either through manual shots or an insulin pump.

Insulin Pumps

During the runway show, Moss showed her tubeless pod insulin pump, which continuously infuses the blood with insulin for 72 hours. In other photos of the model, you can see her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) attached to the back of her arm. The device reads how much glucose—blood sugar— is in the fluids just under your skin.

While Moss hasn't yet publicly addressed her choice to reveal her pump on the runway, fans on social media were quick to praise her for bringing awareness to type 1 diabetes. "As a fellow T1 diabetic (and ex-model), THANK YOU for wearing your device on the freaking runway!" one Instagram user commented. "You are a queen and I want these pics everywhere cos the more we share of T1 diabetes the better 🙌."

Another user wrote, "Keep rocking the pod, @lilamoss! Maybe designers will start to dress it up to match your outfits on the runway." Parents of kids with type 1 diabetes shared their gratitude with Moss, too: "You are truly so inspiring thanks for showing the world you can do anything and more even when you have type 1 diabetes. ( from a mother with a son with the same Illness)."

This was the first time Moss displayed her insulin pump on the catwalk, but she's been following in her mom's footsteps as a model. In October 2020, the then-18-year-old debuted on the runway for Miu Miu during Paris Fashion Week. 'THANK YOU,' Moss shared on her Instagram account, 'for allowing me to debut at the dreamiest show.'