Diabetes Canada launches stigma-busting campaign as survey reveals stigma often comes from those closest to us
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GlobeNewswireNovember campaign invites Canadians to learn the facts about diabetes
Toronto, Nov. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This November, Diabetes Canada launches its Diabetes Awareness Campaign to combat the harmful stigma that shapes the lived experience of people living with the condition. According to new data from Environics Research, many Canadians still view diabetes as preventable rather than a complex condition with many risk factors.
Key findings:
- Nearly half (47%) of people without diabetes still believe diabetes is caused by lifestyle choices alone, despite reporting higher familiarity about the condition.
- More than half (51%) of people without diabetes believe diabetes can be avoided through physical activity and a balanced diet.
- 43% of people without diabetes believe diabetes is caused by consuming too much sugar.
The truth:
- Type 2 diabetes is a complex condition with many risk factors in which your body’s pancreas cannot make enough insulin or does not properly use the insulin it makes.
- Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, where your body’s immune cells mistakenly attack the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.
Diabetes stigma often comes from the people closest to us, even when they mean well. The survey found that stigma often hits closest to home, with 22% of people with diabetes identifying family as sources of stigma.
How Canadians can help stop the stigma and learn the truth
This November, Diabetes Canada is calling on people across Canada to break down harmful myths and misconceptions and begin to change the conversation around diabetes.
The campaign invites people to:
- Learn the facts: Visit diabetes.ca/stopthestigma to access myth-busting resources and facts about diabetes.
- Be an ally: Learn how to support people living with diabetes with Diabetes Canada's How to Be a Diabetes Ally tip sheet.
What people with lived experience want you to know this month:
“Diabetes stigma can be relentless. It shows up at family dinners, workplace meetings and group chats with friends. But reducing diabetes stigma isn't about accusing people of cruelty or discrimination. It's about offering Canadians practical tips for how to be a more supportive ally. People living with diabetes show up every day with remarkable resilience. That resilience deserves to be met with understanding, not judgment.”
- Laura Syron, President & CEO of Diabetes Canada, who lives with type 2 diabetes.
“I spent a long time resenting my diabetes. I don't feel that way anymore. I just wish I'd known sooner that I didn't have to be ashamed of it.”
- Ashley Keenan, lives with type 2 diabetes - read her full story.
“These (diabetes) devices represent all of your hard work to keep yourself healthy, and there's no reason you should feel the need to hide them,” she says. “They don't make you look any less cool, any less fashionable. They're proof of all of your hard work. All of your strength.”
- Taylor Efford, lives with type 1 diabetes - read her full story
Celebrating resilience at Banting House on World Diabetes Day
On World Diabetes Day (November 14th), the public is invited to celebrate the resilience of people living with diabetes at the birthplace of insulin—Banting House Museum. The free event includes:
- Museum open house
- The opening of our newest exhibit in our rotating gallery
- The unveiling of the newly installed commemorative bricks in the Global Garden
- The reading of “Dear Dr. Banting” letters left at the museum
- Diabetes-friendly treats and hot chocolate
About Diabetes Canada
Our vision at Diabetes Canada is a world free from the effects of diabetes. That’s why we work together to improve the lives of those living with diabetes—sharing knowledge and resources, supporting health-care professionals to improve patient care, advocating for change through policy, and funding research to advance treatments and discover a cure. Living with diabetes is a complex and often relentless journey, testing the resilience of every individual affected. Diabetes Canada is here to help—providing tools, resources, and support to make that journey easier.
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Leah Siversky Diabetes Canada 416 408 7041 Leah.Siversky@diabetes.ca
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