Welcome to the CHARM (diet and metabolic health) Study

Thousands of Albertans and Canadians are currently taking part in the HEAL (diet and physical activity) study, the largest and most comprehensive Diet & Physical Activity data collection in Alberta and Canada’s history. 

Expanding on HEAL, select participants will also be invited to join the CHARM (diet and metabolic health) study, launching in Spring 2026. 

Find out more information here. You can also visit the CanPath HEAL and CHARM information page to stay up to date with progress of the CHARM study. 

On this page: 

What is the purpose of the CHARM (Diet and Metabolic Health) study?

CHARM stands for CHARacterizing heterogeneity in dietary intake among structurally excluded populations using Multidimensional data.

The purpose is to better understand how what we eat affects the body. This will be achieved by collecting blood and stool samples to look at the effects of diet and foods on markers of metabolic health.

How does CHARM relate to the HEAL study?

CHARM is an extension of the HEAL study, which aims to collect diet and activity data that can be used to support a wide range of research into cancer and chronic diseases.  For CHARM, we will ask participants to visit a study centre to provide a fasting blood sample within 2 weeks of completing an ASA24 (past 24-hour diet recall) survey. Participants will also have the option to collect a stool sample at home and mail it back to ATP. And that’s it!

Why is this study important?

Many adults in Canada do not have access to healthy foods or opportunities for regular exercise and restful sleep, which can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

People experiencing challenges such as lower income, food insecurity, discrimination, or limited access to healthy food and opportunities to be active may be especially affected, but these experiences are often underrepresented in research.

By collecting information about diet, physical activity, sleep, and biological samples such as blood and stool, researchers hope to better understand how what you eat and what you do, along with social, environmental, and biological factors, influence metabolism, gut health, and overall health. The findings from this study may help guide future health programs, policies, and supports that are more effective and personalized for a variety of communities across Canada.

Who is invited to the CHARM study?

ATP hopes to recruit 2000 participants into the CHARM study.

We are inviting participants with diverse backgrounds to be able to compare and contrast different experiences.  Some of the participants will be from structurally excluded populations and others will not.

Structurally excluded populations are groups that have additional barriers in life because of how our systems and communities are built.  These challenges can make it more difficult to get things like affordable healthy food, safe housing, easy-to-use health care, and more.

For example, some structurally excluded groups have more exposure to ultra-processed foods which can increase the risk of long-term health problems.

What will I be asked to do?

  • If you’re invited to participate in CHARM, you’ll receive an email invitation.
  • Review and sign a consent form in the ATP Participant Portal.
  • Complete your next ASA24 (past 24-hour diet recall) as part of the HEAL study (we’ll email you when it’s time).
  • Book a study centre appointment within 2 weeks of when you completed your ASA24. Appointments take place at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary.
  • Attend your CHARM appointment and provide a fasting blood sample (about 2 tablespoons).
  • You’ll also have the option to take home a stool collection kit, collect a stool sample at home, and return it by mail using a prepaid envelope.
  • That’s it! After this, simply continue with your HEAL study participation as usual.

Because the CHARM study intersects with the HEAL study, you may receive multiple messages from ATP at certain times.  We will reach out when it is time to complete something for either HEAL or CHARM, and you are always able to see what is next by logging into the ATP Participant Portal by going to myatphub.ca and checking the Notifications pane.

What will I get from participating in this study?

The CHARM blood samples will be tested for markers of metabolic health, including cholesterol and HbA1c for blood sugar.  You will have the option to receive your results in the ATP Participant Portal. Please note that we won’t be sending the samples for analysis until all of the samples have been collected and analyzed, so you may not get your results until sometime in 2027.

The stool samples will be used for research purposes to look at the gut microbiome (bacteria living in your gut). The results would not be clinically meaningful at this stage, so these results won’t be provided back to you.

Other CHARM Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, please visit our CHARM Frequently Asked Questions page here: https://myatp.ca/CHARMfaqs

Contact Us

If you need to contact ATP about anything related to CHARM, here’s how you can get in touch with us:

Email us: tomorrow@cancercarealberta.ca

Call us (toll free): 1-877-919-9292

Call Centre hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:00pm MST

  • If your question is not urgent, we encourage you to email us and we’ll respond to you as soon as we can.
  • If you need to reach us right away – for example, you need to contact us the morning of your appointment – we encourage you to call us.  We will be monitoring the call centre number.

Last updated:  May 22, 2026