Researchers studying Vancouver, with aim of reducing rates of diabetes
Posted November 30, 2017 11:10 am.
Last Updated November 30, 2017 11:22 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Researchers at SFU have now been studying Vancouver for about a year, finding out where diabetes is most prevalent and what can be done about it.
“A lot of focus is put on transit in order to ensure that more individuals are able to walk to work,” says Bryan Hilberdink, who speaks for the Cities Changing Diabetes project.
“We look at things like bike lanes [and] having more greenspace within Vancouver.”
But he says it isn’t just about getting people moving; it’s also about awareness of healthy initiatives. “It’s access to healthier food. It’s a lot of different communication and education.”
Researchers have been mapping Vancouver over the past year in an effort to determine where exactly rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes are the highest.
The goal is to end up with a final report on the challenges within the city before moving on to proposing some solutions.
The recommendations will be released throughout 2018.
“This is going to be a multi-faceted approach to make lsure that people living in Vancouver are healthier, less likely to become obese, and therefore, less likely to deveop Type 2 diabetes,” says Hilberdink.
The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Coastal Health are also involved in the project.
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