Independent information guide
Obesity is a chronic disease, not a lack of willpower. In the Netherlands, 15.6% of adults have obesity (CBS/RIVM Gezondheidsmonitor 2024). Help is available: from a lifestyle programme to medication or surgery. This site honestly explains the options and helps you start the conversation with your GP (huisarts).
You can ask for help from a BMI of 25. If you start early, you have more choice and can prevent more. Here is how to go about it:
You are not the only one. Half of adults in the Netherlands are overweight, and almost one in six has obesity.
15,6%
of adults have obesity: a BMI of 30 or higher (CBS/RIVM Gezondheidsmonitor 2024)
50,0%
of adults are overweight, including obesity (CBS/RIVM Gezondheidsmonitor 2024)
1–142 days
waiting time for weight loss surgery, varying per centre (ZorgkaartNederland, 25-09-2026)
By municipality, obesity ranges from 7.9% to 29.2% (VZinfo, Gezondheidsmonitor 2024). The centres report the waiting times themselves; we update them monthly.
More and more people are taking the step. According to Nivel, the number of people known to their GP (huisarts) with overweight or obesity rose by 39% in 2025 (Nivel, 08-07-2026). Want to know how long you will have to wait at each hospital and clinic? See the waiting times for weight loss surgery per centre. What obesity is and how it develops is explained in overweight and obesity as a chronic disease.
The NHG guideline on obesity (NHG-Standaard Obesitas, October 2025) works like a staircase. The first step is lifestyle, with support. If the result remains too small, your GP (huisarts) may suggest the next step: medication or a referral for surgery.
24 months of support with eating, exercise, sleep and behaviour. Covered by basic health insurance (basisverzekering), with no compulsory excess (eigen risico) (Zorginstituut Nederland, 2026).
Who the GLI lifestyle programme is forAn addition for some people with a BMI of 35 or higher, after at least one year of lifestyle support with too little result.
When weight loss medication is appropriateAn operation for people with severe obesity for whom other treatments did not help enough. Reimbursed if you meet the criteria.
What weight loss surgery involvesMany people only go to their GP (huisarts) when their weight has been high for years. Shame plays a big role in this. Research by Wageningen University showed that some people waited up to 10 years before considering surgery, because they felt they should solve it themselves (Nieuws voor Diëtisten, 16-03-2026). That is a shame, because there is a lot to gain at an early stage.
An example. Suppose you are 1.70 m tall and weigh 95 kilos. Your BMI is then 95 ÷ (1.70 × 1.70) = 95 ÷ 2.89 = 32.9. If your waist also measures more than 88 cm (woman) or 102 cm (man), you are eligible for a reimbursed two-year lifestyle programme. According to the NHG guideline, losing 5 to 10% of your weight already brings significant health benefits (NHG, 2010). At 95 kilos, that is 4.75 to 9.5 kilos.
| Your situation | What you can discuss with your GP |
|---|---|
| BMI 25 to 35 with a large waist or a disease | The GLI lifestyle programme, reimbursed and with no compulsory excess |
| BMI 35 or higher | The GLI; with a serious disease also medication (after one year of GLI) or surgery |
| BMI 30 or higher with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes | Possibly surgery, if previous treatment did not help enough |
| BMI 40 or higher | Weight loss surgery, if previous treatment did not help enough |
Not sure whether it applies to you? The short three-question check on the page am I eligible for weight loss surgery gives a first indication. Always discuss the result with your GP.
If you have been struggling with your weight for a long time and want to know what is possible. Without judgement, with the criteria and waiting times at a glance.
View the criteria for weight loss surgeryWho want to help without hurting. With example phrases, tips around surgery and attention to your own boundaries.
Tips for supporting someone with obesityWho want to see criteria, waiting times and the referral route quickly. Plus a step-by-step plan to identify overweight earlier in your practice.
Bariatric referral aid for GPs and practice nurses Action plan for the GP practiceAsk your questions to a doctor and someone with lived experience, free and with no obligation. You can do this in a library or community centre near you, or at home via YouTube during the livestream "Ask the doctor". You do not have to say anything about your health. Feel free to bring your partner or a friend.
In some municipalities, almost three in ten adults have obesity. For twenty municipalities with a high percentage, we have a dedicated page with the figures, nearby centres and their waiting times.
| Municipality | Province | Obesity | Overweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overweight in Pekela | Groningen | 29,2% | 69,4% |
| Overweight in Emmen | Drenthe | 26,4% | 64,2% |
| Overweight in Veendam | Groningen | 26,2% | 63,1% |
| Overweight in Nissewaard | Zuid-Holland | 24,5% | 60,2% |
| Overweight in Neder-Betuwe | Gelderland | 22,8% | 57,4% |
| Overweight in Stadskanaal | Groningen | 22,4% | 61,4% |
| Overweight in Den Helder | Noord-Holland | 22,4% | 58,5% |
| Overweight in Brunssum | Limburg | 21,8% | 60,9% |
| Overweight in Kerkrade | Limburg | 21,7% | 61,2% |
| Overweight in Tiel | Gelderland | 20,6% | 57,9% |
| Overweight in Venlo | Limburg | 20,5% | 56,8% |
| Overweight in Vlaardingen | Zuid-Holland | 20,4% | 58,0% |
| Overweight in Almere | Flevoland | 20,0% | 58,4% |
| Overweight in Heerlen | Limburg | 20,0% | 58,0% |
| Overweight in Capelle aan den IJssel | Zuid-Holland | 18,8% | 55,7% |
| Overweight in Schiedam | Zuid-Holland | 18,7% | 56,2% |
| Overweight in Lelystad | Flevoland | 18,4% | 55,4% |
| Overweight in Apeldoorn | Gelderland | 17,5% | 51,6% |
| Overweight in Rotterdam | Zuid-Holland | 17,4% | 50,1% |
| Overweight in Zaanstad | Noord-Holland | 17,3% | 52,3% |
Source: CBS StatLine 86137NED, Gezondheidsmonitor Volwassenen en Ouderen 2024. Nationally: 15.6% obesity and 50.0% overweight.
| What do you get? | Overgewicht Nederland | Goodweigh | Wellis | Yazen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation with a doctor by phone or video | Yes: | No: | Partly: | Not mentioned: |
| Bariatric surgeon as medical director | Yes: | Not mentioned: | Not mentioned: | Not mentioned: |
| Unlimited contact via chat | Not mentioned: | Yes: | Not mentioned: | Not mentioned: |
| Everything via chat, without phone calls | No: | Yes: | Yes: | Partly: |
yes no (according to the provider itself) partly not mentioned. Reference date 22-10-2026. Compare for yourself with the decision aid
Overgewicht Nederland is an information guide by Gijs Bodenstaff. Gijs is not a doctor. We show all treatments and all centres with their waiting times, including centres that are not partners. Every figure has a source and a date. We do not give personal medical advice: for that, go to your GP (huisarts).
Overgewicht Nederland is an independent information guide by Gijs Bodenstaff, made possible in part by partner WeightWorks. We show all practitioners and centres. Read how we work with our partner.
How we work together and who checks the medical texts is explained in about this site and our partner.
Not sure yet which way to go? With the free weight loss test or menopause test you can see in 5 minutes which routes suit you. If you want help with eating, exercise and keeping it up, read about twelve months of coaching for overweight. Curious about weight loss medication according to the guideline or the gastric balloon as an intermediate step? Both pages also cover the risks and the costs.
The first step is knowing where you stand and then making an appointment with your GP (huisarts). Calculate your BMI, measure your waist circumference and write down any symptoms you have. Ask the doctor’s assistant for a little extra time. You can read how to prepare for that conversation in talking to your GP about your weight.
Yes, especially then. With a BMI between 25 and 30 and a large waist circumference or health problems such as high blood pressure, you can already get help, for example a reimbursed lifestyle programme. The sooner you start, the more you can prevent. Read who is eligible for the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI).
For most reimbursed treatments, yes. The combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) starts after a referral (verwijzing) from your GP (huisarts) or practice nurse (POH). For reimbursed weight loss surgery, too, your GP refers you to a centre. Weight loss medication is only available on prescription. So it almost always starts at your GP practice.
Mostly, yes. The GLI is covered by basic health insurance (basisverzekering) and does not count towards your compulsory excess (eigen risico). Weight loss surgery is reimbursed if you meet the criteria; you then pay your compulsory excess of €385 in 2026. Medication is only reimbursed to a limited extent. Read how insurance cover for weight loss surgery works.
That depends on the treatment. A GLI lasts 24 months; when you can start differs per provider. For weight loss surgery, you first need a referral and a screening. The waiting time for the centre varies from 1 to 142 days (ZorgkaartNederland, 25-09-2026). Compare the waiting times per hospital and clinic.
No, this site is an information guide, not a clinic. You cannot book treatment here. For help, go to your GP (huisarts), who will refer you if needed. You can, however, sign up here for a free information evening or livestream. If you have a question about the site, see contacting the editorial team.
Because you can prevent more at an early stage. Losing just 5 to 10% of your weight often brings considerable health benefits, such as better blood pressure. You also have more choice in treatments. Many people wait for years out of shame. Read what obesity is and how prejudice gets in the way.
No, this site gives general information and does not replace personal advice. Use the information to prepare and to ask the right questions. What suits you is something you decide together with your GP (huisarts) or healthcare provider. In an emergency, call your GP, the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) or 112.
All centres for which ZorgkaartNederland shows a waiting time, plus the hospitals without enough measurements. These are hospitals and independent clinics, even if they are not partners of this site. Together with your GP (huisarts), you may choose a centre yourself, and consider distance, aftercare and the contract with your health insurer.
You will find the referral criteria according to the NHG guideline (NHG-Standaard) of October 2025, the waiting times per centre, a referral card and materials for the waiting room. There is also a step-by-step plan to identify and discuss overweight earlier. Start with the action plan for GPs and practice nurses (POH).
Yes, you can already take small steps now, such as going for a walk every day, eating at regular times and getting enough sleep. But do not wait too long to make an appointment: with support you are more likely to stick to changes, and you will hear what reimbursed help is available. Read what you can expect from obesity treatments.
The figures come from public sources, such as the Gezondheidsmonitor 2024 by CBS and RIVM, the NHG-Standaard Obesitas, the Dutch Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland) and ZorgkaartNederland. Every figure shows its source and the date on which we checked it. How we choose sources is set out in our editorial policy.
Yes, in every municipality you can get a lifestyle programme or a referral (verwijzing) through your GP (huisarts). For twenty municipalities with high rates of obesity, we have a separate page with local figures, nearby centres and their waiting times. Check overweight and obesity by region to see whether your municipality is listed.
The conversation card helps you prepare well for your appointment with your GP (huisarts). At home you fill in your height, weight, BMI, symptoms and previous attempts, and four questions are already printed on it. That way you do not forget anything and your GP quickly knows what it is about. Download it from the free downloads for patients and practices.
Yes, please do, but do it with care. It is better not to send the site unasked as a hint about someone’s weight; that can hurt. First ask whether the other person wants to talk about it. How to approach this is explained in support for family and friends of someone with obesity.