Diabetes in Canada is reaching an epidemic level. Experts meeting in Ottawa say that Type 2 diabetes, which usually affects adults, is now being seen in young children.

In the past five years, diagnosis rates of diabetes has jumped 31 per cent. More than 2,000 delegates are at an Ottawa conference to try to find out why.

Mike Lund, 31, is one of those attending the conference. He was 13 when he diagnosed with Type 1 or juvenile diabetes.

"It's fustrating. It's always on your mind," Lund said.

He is forced to constantly monitor his blood sugar levels and takes insulin when needed. He worries Canadians aren't hearing the warnings about how dangerous the disease can be.

"Obesity really has exploded over the last couple of years -- it's becoming more prevalent," Lund said.

In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of Type 2 diabetes. With one out of every seven Canadians overweight, almost three-quarters of our population is at risk -- including our children.

"What used to be considered a geriatric condition, we’re diagnosing in children as young as five and eight," Dr. Stewart Harris of the Canadian Diabetes Association said.

With Type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to respond to the insulin it produces nor can the pancreas produce more insulin to compensate. That results in high blood sugar levels that can harm the large and small blood vessels.

With children gaining more weight and becoming less active, experts say the answer may not lie in the research, but in healthier lifestyles.

"When we compare those with diabetes and those who don't, the death rates are twice as high with people who have diabetes in Canada," Dr. Linda Van Til, chair of the new National Diabetes Surveillance System, said.

While health experts call on doctors to screen earlier for warning signs, they say it's up to the provinces to make the public aware of how serious the problem is.

The Canadian Diabetes Association has launched new guidelines that recommend people as young as 40 be tested for type 2 diabetes -- down from age 45.

That means that almost half of all Canadians should be checked for the disease under the new guidelines which come into effect this December.

The association warns that with an aging population and a growing obesity problem the incidence of the disease could jump by 50 per cent over the next 10 years.

The guidelines recommend lower targets for blood glucose (sugar), blood pressure, cholesterol and lipid (blood fat) levels.

The Canadian Diabetes Association lists the following new clinical practice guidelines at its website:

New risk factor: Everyone age 40 and over (down from age 45 and over) is now categorized as being at risk for type 2 diabetes. More than 2.5 million Canadians are aged 40-44; more than 14 million people are age 40 and over in Canada.

Lower blood glucose targets: Most people with diabetes should strive for an A1C* below seven per cent. If achievable safely, an A1C* of less than six per cent (the normal range) should be attempted. Keeping blood glucose levels in these ranges has shown to prevent the onset and/or delay the progression of such diabetes complications as kidney disease, heart disease and stroke, eye disease, and limb amputation due to nerve damage.

Lower blood pressure and cholesterol targets : People with diabetes should aim for a blood pressure target of 130/80 or below, as well as lower cholesterol and lipid levels. These lower levels are known to substantially reduce the most prevalent diabetes complications - heart disease and stroke.

Recognition of diabetes as a cardiovascular disease : A full 80 per cent of people with diabetes will die from cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke). Earlier prevention, earlier diagnosis and very aggressive treatment of diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels, blood pressure and lipid levels, have proven to prevent or significantly delay damage to the body's large blood vessels.

With reports from CTV's Catherine Lathem and The Canadian Press