A new medical study is looking into how behaviours and personal characteristics affect chronic disease risk.

Director Peter Jones from the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals says the Manitoba Personalized Lifestyle Research Program (TMPLR) consists of testing and asking questions of 800 Manitobans, adding they're looking for 200 participants from the Steinbach area who are between the ages of 30 and 46.

Director Peter Jones (Photo credit: TMBLR)"In a nutshell, we wanted to ask the question 'how healthy are Manitobans and what are the kinds of characteristics do Manitobans possess that lead some of them to be healthier than others?'"

Jones says the testing will focus on taking a snapshot of each individual which includes taking measurements, asking questions, and the goal is to tie the markers for disease risk to positive or negative behaviours.

"We'll assess a whole number of health parametres including blood pressure, body composition, and gut microbiome dialysis. We're looking at DNA for genetic analysis, we're going to be asking questions about physical activity, in fact, we do a physical activity test on an exercise bike to see how fit people are. We're also going to monitor activity, asking questions about diet, questions about current lifestyle, and even questions about childhood experiences."

Jones says participants are thanked for their time and contribution to the study by being provided with their information from the tests, as well, they are given compensation in the form of $100.

Full results from the study are expected to be available early next fall.