Finally realizing that all the speculation on his health was proving to be, well, unhealthy for investors and the company, Apple CEO Steve Jobs fessed up today that he is indeed sick.

Here’s an excerpt from Steve Jobs’ confession letter:

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow. 

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause — a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

Apple’s stock was trading at $94.77, up 4.02 (4.43%) at 12:57PM ET.

Steve Jobs is one of the more interesting characters in the digital media world and is often credited with spearheading the wild success of the iPod and the iPhone.