In the Netherlands, about 50% of adults are living with overweight, and 15% live with obesity. Without effective preventive measures, it is expected that within 20 years, two-thirds of adults will have excess weight.
Overweight and Obesity
Moving towards balance
Hungry brain or hungry gut – do you know the difference?
Everyone knows what hunger feels like – but did you know there are two different kinds of hunger?
- Hungry brain
Your brain triggers the feeling of hunger and prompts you to eat. For people living with obesity, this regulation can be disturbed, leading to uncontrollable cravings and, in some cases, emotional eating.
You may recognise this as eating for comfort, cravings, out of getting bored, or simply because tasty is in front of you.
- Hungry gut
Your body monitors how many nutrients are available through various hormones. These hormones signal when you feel full. In people living with obesity, there can be a shortage of these satiety hormones.
Learning the recognise the difference can help you to understand your own eating patterns – an important first step when living with overweight or obesity. It helps you to see where your real need for food comes from and provides a valuable starting point for discussion with your GP or practice nurse.
What is obesity?
Obesity is a chronic disease, meaning that certain processes in the body have changed in a way that maintains an increased body weight. For people living with obesity, simply “losing weight” is not the solution. The condition has a greater impact than many realise – it reaches far beyond what the scale shows.
It’s not just about your weight, but also about how you feel, and what it means for your health and daily life. You might notice that you tire more easily, move less, experience hormonal imbalance, face a higher risk of other diseases, or have already been diagnosed with another condition.
The good news: there is growing knowledge and an increasing number of treatment options that can truly help you.
What can you do about overweight or obesity?
Everyone is different, so there is no single approach that works for everyone. Together with a healthcare professional, you can explore with strategy best suits your situation. In the Netherlands, there are generally four options:
- Lifestyle improvement
Starting with a healthier lifestyle is always worthwhile. Research shows that losing just 5-10% of your body weight can already lead to significant improvements in overall health. Healthy habits can set the process of weight loss in motion.
- Combined Lifestyle Interventions (GLI)
Since 2019, this programme has been reimbursed under basic health insurance. With professional guidance, you work long-term on physical activity, nutrition, and behavioural change.
- Medication
If the GLI programme does not provide sufficient results, your General Practitioner (GP) can prescribe medication as additional support after one year of treatment. In the Netherlands, 5 types of anti-obesity medication are registered, each with its own mechanism of action. Two of these are reimbursed under the basic insurance package when prescribed alongside a GLI programme to support weight loss.
- Referral to specilised care
A BMI higher than 40kg/m2, or above 35kg/m2 with related health conditions, poses serious health risks. In such cases, your doctor may recommend bariatric surgery.
Our commitment
At Goodlife, we believe that personalised care is key. Together with healthcare professionals, we work to develop solutions that help you regain control of your health and gradually improve your quality of life – one step at a time.
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