The Leeds University student, who was always thirsty and drank six litres of water a day, was constantly going to the toilet, leading her loved ones to believe she was purging and vomiting.
Speaking about the incident, she said: "It upset me thinking that people thought I could have an eating disorder. I actually had diabetes.
"I started eating rubbish food. I craved sweets, chocolate and pizza. I could eat up to 5,000 calories a day, more than double the 2,000 a woman needs. I'd always been healthy and conscious of my weight so I found this weird."
She added: "I wasn't putting on weight though. I was so skinny. Within a month I'd lost a stone. I'd only been eight stone to start with. I drank water all the time. I'd get up in the middle of the night to down a two-litre bottle.
"I needed the toilet constantly. I felt faint as well."
After she lost two stone in two months, Kate's family and friends worried.
She said: "People said I didn't look myself and that I was gaunt in my face. They asked me why was I eating so much and going to the toilet all the time. They though was I being sick and asked if I was bulimic.
"I got frustrated because I wasn't. I didn't know what was wrong. I was so confused. Mum threatened to pull me out of university if I didn't get well."
The student added: "I got tired and found it hard to concentrate in lectures too. I thought that was just university catching up on me. I was told the average reading was five or six but mine was 40.
"At the hospital I heard my pancreas had stopped working."
Shockingly Kate was no longer producing insulin, which regulates the blood glucose levels, and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The NHS have commented on Kate's story, explaining: "Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but usually appears before the age of 40, particularly in childhood.
"In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas (a small gland behind the stomach) doesn't produce any insulin – the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. This is why it's also sometimes called insulin-dependent diabetes."
This story has come to light just hours after a new trend for girls showing off their skinny waists has come into fashion on the web.
The belly button challenge, if you chose to accept it, will see you stretch your arm around your waist from behind and try to grab your belly button (or touch it) with your hand.
Speaking about her ordeal, Kate said: "I now have regular check-ups and insulin injection after I eat carbohydrates or anything with a lot of sugar in, to help my body break it down.
"I've found as long as I inject myself when I need to, I can live a normal lifestyle."
Source by express.co.uk
