Depression, antidepressants and unwanted weight gain can result in Type 2 diabetes, the silent cause of amputation: early education and treatment can prevent the loss of limbs

Depression sufferers are at twice the risk of developing Type II diabetes than the general population.

Diabetes continues to grow as one of the nation's most alarming chronic diseases. One out of every 15 Americans live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Many lifestyle factors contribute to the risk of diabetes, including obesity's significance in the rise of type 2 diabetes. And the repercussions are severe: peripheral neuropathy (pain and numbness in the hands and feet), foot deformities and, finally, amputation.

With the prevalence of an obesity epidemic in the U.S., type 2 diabetes is on an exponential rise, with children and young teens also being diagnosed. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas supplies too little insulin to keep up with the increased demand. Most often, patients are treated with a combination of diet and exercise with medication to increase and moderate insulin supply.

Quiz: Are You Putting Yourself At Risk?

To prevent those kinds of consequences , people who are diagnosed with diabetes need to tackle the disease early on. A recent ABCNews story, "Ignore Warning Signs, Lose a Limb" features the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. The National Institutes for Health states that an alarming 60 percent of amputations are caused by diabetes.

Some 21 million Americans have diabetes. But, according to the report, about 6.2 million Americans go undiagnosed -- and often find out too late. Managing care is essential to preventing a catalyst of associated ailments and cancers.

Jackson and actress Delta Burke have been celebrity spokesmen for several diabetes education advocacy groups. With an alarming estimate of 30.3 million diabetics in the U.S. by 2030, the National Diabetes Education Program Progress Report and the American Diabetics Association are ramping up their educational campaigns.

Sources: Diabetes 101: Understanding the disease (CNN Health); Ignore Warning Signs, Lose a Limb (ABC News); Health Tip: Diabetics, Examine Your Feet(HealthDay);

 

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