March 7, 2017
CHANGE links people at risk of chronic disease with a registered dietitian and an exercise specialist. The lifestyle changes are meant to last. Participants learn to control portions and track what they eat
Story by: Valerie Berenyl
Rory MacDonald’s morning snack used to be a large muffin and a “triple-triple” coffee (three creams, three sugars).
That changed when his doctor recruited him for a pilot study in the CHANGE (Canadian Health Advanced by Nutrition and Graded Exercise) program. CHANGE links people at risk of chronic disease with a registered dietitian and an exercise specialist. Its goal is to increase physical activity, promote healthy eating and reduce obesity in adults at risk of chronic disease due to lifestyle.
A 67-year-old house painter from Edmonton, MacDonald quickly learned his recommended daily intake is 1,800 to 2,300 calories, and that his morning snack was about one-third of that. “My old regime was about 6,000 calories a day,” he says.
With CHANGE MacDonald altered his eating habits, started walking 10,000 steps a day and dropped 30 lbs. (14 kg) in a year, which he’s kept off. His above-average waist size, weight, blood pressure and unhealthy fat and blood sugar levels all returned to normal. Other study participants have made similar improvements.
MacDonald’s family physician, Dr. Doug Klein at the Edmonton Oliver Primary Care Network, is using the original CHANGE program to pilot the Alberta version of the program that focuses on preventing lifestyle-related cancers in Alberta.
“Eating habits, physical inactivity and an unhealthy weight contribute to about one in every six cases of cancer in the province,” says Klein. “They also affect chronic disease, metabolic syndrome and mental health.”
A big part of CHANGE Cancer Alberta is setting realistic goals.
“You can’t change what you eat for a year and then go back to old habits,” Klein says. “Instead of having a pop every day, someone might cut down to one a week. That’s sustainable, something they can do forever.”
The lifestyle changes are meant to last. Participants learn to control portions, track what they eat and use tools such as a pedometer. They also receive cookbooks and time-saving tips for making meals.
“Primary care doctors see participants throughout the one-year period. And they keep them on track long after the program. That’s the beauty of it,” Klein says.
MacDonald realized the program had changed his life when he was hiking uphill in Arizona and wasn’t out of breath. “It works,” he says. “You sleep better. You have more energy. Once you commit to the program it’s not hard . . . you feel better.”
To make lifestyle changes, visit albertapreventscancer.ca to access tools and resources.
