Getting Started with CDA

Does anyone here have any information on what a person needs to do to get involved with the Canadian Diabetes Association?


I am a chef with a bit of skill, and I would like to see what I could do to actively get involved with the Diabetes community.

Anyone have any thoughts?

If you can raise money for them, the CDA and ADA will fall all over you “getting you involved.” But afterwards, when you actually ask about helping them with your expertise and helping the average diabetic, you will likely get brushed off and have a very bad taste in your mouth.



Over time, I’ve come to understand that the CDA/ADA is an organization that represent it’s constituents, and make no mistake, big pharma, the medical professions, corporate america and others besides patients dominate that constituency. Just look through the page on how to get involved in the CDA (http://www.diabetes.ca/get-involved/). Notice anything? There are lots of ways to give them money,but there are basically no ways for you to “get involved.” Don’t try to write a cookbook or help the CDA/ADA with diets or cooking, they don’t want "help."



I’m sorry, I’ve just become jaded over the years. I don’t believe that the CDA/ADA is “bad,” just not particularly helpful to most diabetics. I tolerate the CDA/ADA, I give them “some” support and I speak out to try to “correct” them. Instead, I look to other ways to help the diabetes community.



If you really wish to help the community, write a “good” diabetic cookbook, teach people by visiting diabetes centers, support groups, and write about how to cook for diabetes on-line.

I am becoming uninvolved with the CDA. Pushing the high carb diets that they do is against my beliefs.