Guelph Family Health Study

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Guelph Family Health Study

The Guelph Family Health Study is a long-term study designed to follow families over many years.

By the age of five or six, your kids will form eating, exercise and sleep habits that can last a lifetime. The Guelph Family Health Study is testing new ways for kids to learn healthy habits early - habits that can significantly lower your child's risk for disease now and in the future.

06/02/2026

Youth Council Spotlight! 🌟

We are thrilled to have our GFHS Youth Council in addition to our Family Council to help guide our study. As the children in the study grow older and begin contributing their own information their voices become more important than ever.

A huge thank you to our Youth Council members for their enthusiasm and awesome ideas!

05/15/2026

The Guelph Family Health Study was well represented at the 2026 conference this past weekend in Halifax, Nova Scotia!

We even had several GFHS members recognized on the awards stage as well congratulations:

- Yasmeen Karaman on being awarded the MyRoad Abstract Award for the highest-ranked abstract in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease research.
- Dr. David Ma on being awarded the the Earle Willard McHenry Award for Distinguished Service in Nutrition.
- Raphaëlle Jacob on being awarded the 2026 Canadian Nutrition Society Postdoctoral Award.

Way to go, team! We are so proud to have such an incredibly driven and talented group of students and faculty representing GFHS🧡 💙

05/12/2026

We are excited to present a special episode as the final episode of our season! This episode was created by fourth-year nutrition students at the University of Guelph as part of their Nutrition Communication course and was selected as the top podcast episode. Tune in to hear this fantastic episode from students Dawn and Daniel as they dive into all things fibre!

🎧Listen on all major platforms or via link in our bio!

04/21/2026

BEING SAFE OUTDOORS: TIPS WHEN IT COMES TO TICKS 😎🌳

🎙️New podcast episode out now!

As warmer weather approaches, so does tick season. In this episode, we’re joined by researcher Justin Wood. Justin works at the University of Guelph’s Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Laboratory and is the founder of Geneticks, where he focuses on developing diagnostics for tick-borne diseases and advancing pathogen research. In this episode, we take a deep dive into ticks, Lyme disease, and practical ways to protect ourselves and our families while continuing to enjoy time outdoors this summer.

🎧Listen on all major platforms or via link in our bio!

04/16/2026

Spring vibes are here … tick season too 😅

We had the pleasure of talking all things ticks, Lyme disease, and how to protect yourself outdoors with expert and fellow UofG-er, Justin Wood 🌱🏕️

🎧Stay tuned, episode drops Tuesday April 21 at 10am EST.

04/15/2026

Introducing Grace!

Grace is an undergraduate student working with Dr. Lori Vallis. Read her Q&A below to learn more about her and her work with GFHS.

What is your role in the GFHS and how long have you worked with the study?
🧡I am a third-year Applied Human Nutrition student with an emphasis in Dietetics, who is completing a research project with Dr. Lori Ann Vallis. I have been working with the Guelph Family Health Study since May 2025, and my project focuses on examining the relationship between energy intake and physical activity levels in school-aged children.

What do you like most about your job?
👥I love working in an interdisciplinary team that combines my passions for physical activity, nutrition, and family health. I also enjoy being inspired by the amazing work of other students, and I feel very lucky to be part of such a great study team.

What is your favourite place to eat in Guelph or on campus?
🍝My favourite places to eat are Scaddabush and Guelph BBQ.

What's something you're involved in outside the GFHS?
🍳I volunteer preparing meals for an elementary school snack program. I’m also part of the Student Supporting Seniors club where we take part in various initiatives, such as doing visits to the retirement home where we get to spend time with the seniors

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
🏃‍♂️I enjoy going to the gym, camping, and going on long walks.

What are you reading or watching right now?
📺I love watching murder documentaries, and I’m currently rewatching The Office for the seventh time (I am a big office fan)

What's your favourite thing to cook or bake?
🍪I love baking chocolate chip banana bread. I also enjoy making kefir from scratch, which is my favourite breakfast.

Are you a coffee person or a tea person?
☕I LOVE coffee! Maybe a bit too much…

04/07/2026

This is who you’re asking to keep the Guelph Family Health Study thriving ✨🧡💙

03/26/2026

We are excited and proud to share highlights from the Student Research Day, where several of our GHFS students presented their work🏃‍♂️🥣👩‍🔬

It is always inspiring to see the results of the team’s collaboration and data come to life through student research!

Abjot Brar - Prediction of body composition in early childhood using BIA: a systematic review

Grace Dolson - Unveiling the relationship between caloric intake and physical activity levels among children enrolled in the Guelph Family Health Study

Bailey Wilkins - Examining the role of food parenting in the association between preschooler emotional dysregulation and diet quality

Alyssa Ramuscak - Through the lens of the Going Against the Grain Youth Council: youth-identified barriers and facilitators to following a gluten-free diet

Yasmeen Karaman - NOVA food classification and cardiometabolic risk factors in preschoolers: cross-sectional findings from the Guelph Family Health Study

Well done to all for your work and research 🧡 💙

03/24/2026

Don’t Judge a Snack by its Cover... or Should You?

You may have noticed new labels popping up on some of your favourite snacks but what are they, what do they actually mean, and how can they help you make more informed choices?

In this episode of Healthy Habits, Happy Homes, we break down everything you need to know about front-of-package labelling in Canada. Joined by PhD candidate Emily Ziraldo from the University of Toronto, we explore what these labels are designed to do, how to interpret them, and what they mean for your everyday food decisions. Whether you’re grocery shopping for your family or just curious about the changes on store shelves, this episode will help you feel more confident navigating nutrition labels.

🎧Listen on all major listening platforms or via link in our bio!

Address

Guelph, ON

Telephone

5198244120ext56168

Website

http://www.guelphfamilyhealthstudy.com/

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