Join Dr. Jung for an informative session on Small Steps for Big Changes, a free, evidence-based diabetes prevention program now available at YMCAs across Canada. Learn about program eligibility, the benefits it offers, and how you can support your clients in signing up to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
CIHR Promotes Small Steps for Big Changes
We are very excited that CIHR is promoting the expansion of Small Steps for Big Changes across Canada!
“One thing that makes this program unique is that access to physical activity and healthy living has barriers, and we know that income, education, and employment, are social determinants of health, and these play a significant role in a person’s risk of developing diabetes,” said Dr. Katie Wadden, the regional research lead for the program in eastern Canada.
Small Steps for Big Changes – Client Stories
We love hearing stories from our Small Steps for Big Changes program participants, and we’re even more excited to share them with you! In this video, you’ll hear firsthand from participants who took small, achievable steps to improve their fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. Their stories highlight the power of making sustainable lifestyle changes, guided by our expert team, to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more inspiring stories and practical tips! #SmallStepsBigChanges #DiabetesPrevention #Prediabetes #WellnessTransformation
Research-backed program making big strides in preventing type 2 diabetes
By 2018, Lois Hourston of Kelowna, B.C., had been living with good intentions for more than 10 years. Lois kept putting her health on the back burner, telling herself she’d get around to making positive changes soon. But her wake-up call came when her doctor told her she had surpassed the 200-pound mark and diagnosed her with prediabetes. Read from from Diabetes Canada here.
Small Steps for Big Changes is expanding
Thousands of Canadians with prediabetes are now be able to sign up at participating YMCAs for a diet and exercise counselling program proven to lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Small Steps for Big Changes, currently delivered at select YMCAs in BC, is expanding to more YMCAs across Canada and Australia. By the end of 2025, the program is expected to be available at more than 40 YMCA locations across eight provinces in Canada. In the same time frame, the program will grow globally beyond its current YMCA locations in Portugal to include four new locations in Queensland, Australia.
DPRG Launches Canada’s first type 2 diabetes survey
Millions of Canadians are at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, but they don’t know it. Understanding more about what Canadian’s know about the disease – as well as what they know about available services – is a vital first step in developing effective prevention strategies for all Canadians.
People with diabetes are over three times more likely to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease, 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with end-stage renal disease, and almost 20 times more likely to be hospitalized for a non-traumatic lower limb amputation compared to the general population.
The Next Steps Survey is the first nationwide survey aimed at documenting Canadians’ understanding of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, their perceived risk of the disease, and attitudes toward existing resources.
The survey, developed by the Diabetes Prevention Research Group (DPRG) at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, is now being promoted nationwide and is available both in French and English.
Why Help?
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You can learn – and help other people learn if you share the survey – how to evaluate your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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You can help researchers gain valuable insights into diabetes prevention care across Canada and support the development of equitable and accessible care for all.
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All survey participants are entered into a draw to win a $400 cash prize.
For more information, and to participate in the survey, visit the Next Steps Survey.
Diabetes prevention program rolls out across Canada
The Bimonthly School of Health and Exercise Sciences (HES) Newsletter honoured the scale-up of Small Steps for Big Changes as the result of a tried-and-tested partnership between YMCA Canada, Diabetes Canada and UBC researcher Dr. Mary Jung and her Diabetes Prevention Research Group. Read more here.
CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes Recognizes Dr. Mary Jung
CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes congratulated our very own Dr. Mary Jung for the announcement of the national rollout of Small Steps for Big Changes, an evidence-based diabetes prevention program founded by Dr. Jung and the Diabetes Prevention Research Group at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Read the full newsletter here.
CIHR Access Newsletter – Small Steps For Big Changes
Small Steps Big Changes linked in here under the “News to Know” section of CIHR Access Newsletter. Read more here.