About this site

Overgewicht Nederland is an independent information guide about overweight and obesity, created by publisher Gijs Bodenstaff and made possible in part by WeightWorks Clinics in Amersfoort (partner of this site). On this page you can read who makes the site, who checks the medical texts, how the collaboration with the partner works and what we deliberately choose not to do.

Who makes this site?

Overgewicht Nederland is an information guide from Gijs Bodenstaff. Gijs has been working on online findability and information provision for more than 25 years: he makes sure that good information can be found by the people who need it. He is not a doctor and does not give medical advice. His role is that of publisher and editor-in-chief: he chooses the topics, finds the sources, writes and organises the texts and keeps the figures up to date.

Gijs has his own profile on Wikidata (Q139588063). This allows you, and search engines, to check who is behind this site.

You can reach us via WhatsApp, phone and email. We do not have a visiting address: we work for the whole of the Netherlands and do not receive visitors. All the ways to get in touch are on the page contact Overgewicht Nederland.

Why this site exists

Obesity is a chronic disease with many causes. It is common: 15.6% of adults in the Netherlands have obesity and 50.0% are overweight (CBS/RIVM Gezondheidsmonitor 2024). Yet many people only seek help after struggling for years. By then, other health problems have often developed, such as type 2 diabetes or joint problems.

That is why this site focuses on the early phase. Think of people with a BMI between 25 and 35, or higher, who do not yet know what help is available. The entry point is almost always the GP (huisarts) or the practice nurse (POH). That is where care begins, and that is where the first question belongs. We help you prepare that question well, for example with tips for the conversation about your weight with your GP.

There is also a reason on the healthcare side. According to Nivel, the number of people known to their GP to have overweight or obesity rose by 39% in 2025. GPs and practice nurses therefore have more questions on their plate than ever. For them, we created a separate action plan for GP practices, with materials they can use free of charge.

Who checks the medical content?

Because Gijs is not a doctor, he has the medical texts reviewed by a medical editor. The editor checks whether what we write is in line with the guidelines, such as the NHG obesity guideline (NHG-Standaard Obesitas) (revised in October 2025). The editor has a say in what appears on medical pages. The partner does not.

There is no permanent medical editor (yet). The medical information on this site is based on guidelines and official sources, which are listed on every page. Spotted an error? Let us know via the contact page.

How that review works exactly, which sources take precedence and how we handle corrections is explained in our editorial policy with sources, reference dates and corrections.

Our partner and the agreements

Making a good information site takes time and money. This site is made possible in part by WeightWorks Clinics in Amersfoort (partner of this site). WeightWorks is a clinic that performs weight loss surgery. We want to be open about that, because it is exactly the kind of information you need to judge a site properly.

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.

We have made fixed agreements with the partner. They are listed below.

Agreements between Overgewicht Nederland and WeightWorks Clinics (partner of this site)

Topic	Agreement
Medical content	The partner has no say over medical texts. These are checked by the medical editor.
Treatments	We describe all treatments: lifestyle, medicines and surgery. Including treatments the partner does not offer.
Centres	We show all centres with their waiting times, including centres that are not partners.
Referrals	No money is paid for referrals, in either direction.
Disclosure	Wherever we mention the partner, "(partner of this site)" is always added.
Data	We do not pass on visitors' data to the partner.

Independence in practice

Agreements on paper are one thing. How can you tell they actually work? A few examples.

• The waiting times for weight loss surgery by centre include all centres for which a waiting time is known. Including hospitals and other clinics. WeightWorks Clinics, our partner, is listed first as our best choice because it performs the most procedures in the Netherlands (DATO 2024) and has the highest patient rating (9.5 on ZorgkaartNederland for 2025). We always say so. The other centres are ordered by waiting time, and we never change any figure.
• On the page about all treatments for obesity, the story starts with lifestyle and the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI), not with surgery. That is also how healthcare works in the Netherlands.
• We write about medicines neutrally. We do not name brands as recommendations and do not compare providers' prices. In the Netherlands, advertising prescription medicines to the public is not allowed (IGJ, 2024).
• At every step we say the same thing: discuss it with your GP (huisarts). The GP refers you, not this site.

A practical example. Suppose you live in Groningen and your GP (huisarts) thinks weight loss surgery is suitable. In our table you will then see all centres side by side, with the waiting time in days and the reference date. Waiting times vary widely between centres: from 1 to 142 days (ZorgkaartNederland, accessed 25-09-2026). Suppose the nearby centre reports 142 days and a centre further away 30 days. That makes a difference of 142 − 30 = 112 days, about 16 weeks. Whether that is worth the journey is something you decide together with your GP. Which centre suits you best also depends on aftercare, travel time and your own preference. That choice is yours. We only show what is available.

How we work: sources and waiting times

Every figure on this site has a source and a date. We use official sources as much as possible: guidelines from the NHG and the medical specialists, figures from CBS, RIVM and Nivel, and information from the Zorginstituut about what is included in the basic package (basispakket). We only include a source once we have opened and read it ourselves.

We take the waiting times from ZorgkaartNederland. We check them once a month. If there is no current measurement for a centre, we put that centre in a separate list instead of leaving an old figure in place. GPs and practice nurses (POH) can also send us a more recent waiting time via the form on the referral guide for GPs and practice nurses. We first check such a report with the centre or on ZorgkaartNederland before we change anything.

We use AI to help with the texts. A human checks everything, and the medical editor reviews the medical pages. This is also stated in the editorial policy.

Our sister site

Overgewicht Nederland has a sister site: obesitasnederland.com. That site goes into more depth on weight loss injections and weight loss surgery, for people who are further along in their search. Overgewicht Nederland is broader. Here it starts earlier: with the question of whether your weight is a risk, with calculating your BMI and what the result means, and with the conversation with your GP. The two sites complement each other, but write their own texts.

Not to be confused with

There are other organisations with a name similar to ours. To avoid confusion:

• overgewichtnederland.nl is the website of Overgewicht Nederland B.V., a commercial provider of treatments for overweight, such as programmes with medicines, a gastric balloon and surgery (own website, accessed 25-09-2026). Our site is not that website and is not published by that B.V. However, this site does contain pages about the support programme of Overgewicht Nederland B.V., and you can sign up for it here: we then pass your details on to them. According to the information on both websites, Overgewicht Nederland B.V. is based at the same address in Amersfoort as our partner WeightWorks Clinics. Read below how the programme appears on this site.
• overgewichtnederland.org is the website of the Nederlandse Stichting Over Gewicht. According to its own website, that foundation is there for everyone affected by overweight and obesity, and offers, among other things, information and peer contact (accessed 25-09-2026). We are not affiliated with this foundation and do not speak on its behalf.

The support programme on this site

Since October 2026, this site has contained pages about the support programme of Overgewicht Nederland B.V. in Amersfoort, under support with overweight. This is how it works:

• The programme, the prices and the terms belong to Overgewicht Nederland B.V. We take over the prices with a reference date.
• Overgewicht Nederland B.V. also runs the Allurion Kliniek in Amersfoort, for the gastric balloon. On our page about the gastric balloon we set the clinic's figures alongside independent sources.
• If you sign up via our form, we send your name, phone number, email address and your choice to Overgewicht Nederland B.V. We only include a choice about your health if you give separate consent for this.
• The information pages about obesity, treatments, waiting times and the GP remain general and show all treatments and all centres.
• You discuss medical questions with your GP (huisarts) or with the programme's healthcare providers, not with the editorial team of this site.

What we do not do

• We do not give personal medical advice. Not via WhatsApp either. For that, go to your GP (huisarts).
• We do not ask for health data, except when signing up for the programme if you give separate consent for this. The BMI check only calculates in your own browser. More about this in the privacy statement of Overgewicht Nederland.
• We do not pay anyone for referrals and do not receive anything for them either.
• We do not promise weight loss and do not call any treatment "quick" or "easy".
• We do not publish personal stories without the written consent of the person concerned.

What you can expect: honest, understandable information in plain language, with sources you can check for yourself. The full ground rules are in the disclaimer about medical information on this site.

Spotted a mistake?

We do our best, but we make mistakes too. A figure may be out of date, or a waiting time may no longer be correct. Let us know via WhatsApp or email. Name the page and what you think should change, preferably with a source. We will look into it within a week. If it is a genuine mistake, we correct the text and add the date of the change next to the figure. For a major mistake, we report the correction at the bottom of the page.

Contact: report a mistake or ask a question Read the editorial policy

Frequently asked questions about Overgewicht Nederland

Who is behind Overgewicht Nederland?

Overgewicht Nederland is an information guide from publisher Gijs Bodenstaff. He has more than 25 years of experience in online findability and information provision, but he is not a doctor. That is why a medical editor checks the medical texts. You can reach Gijs via the Overgewicht Nederland contact page.

Is the maker of this site a doctor?

No, publisher Gijs Bodenstaff is not a doctor and does not give medical advice. He finds sources and writes and organises the texts. A medical editor checks the medical pages against the guidelines, such as the NHG obesity guideline (NHG-Standaard Obesitas) of October 2025. For advice about your situation, always go to your GP (huisarts).

Why was this site created?

The site was created to reach people with overweight or obesity earlier, before many health problems develop. Many people do not know what help is available or do not dare to start the conversation. We explain what steps there are and help you prepare the conversation about weight in the consulting room, with the GP (huisarts) as the starting point.

How does this site make money?

The site is made possible in part by WeightWorks Clinics in Amersfoort (partner of this site). There is no advertising from other parties and no payment per referral. The partner's contribution makes it possible to create the site, the free downloads and the free information evenings about obesity without the content being for sale.

Does WeightWorks influence what is on the site?

No, WeightWorks Clinics (partner of this site) has no say over the medical content. The publisher and the medical editor decide what is published. We show all treatments and all centres, including those that are not partners. You can read how we safeguard this in the Overgewicht Nederland editorial policy.

Does this site earn money from my treatment?

No, this site earns nothing from your treatment. No money is paid for referrals, by anyone or to anyone. The site does not make referrals itself either: your GP (huisarts) does that. We only show which routes and centres exist. You can read more about that route under referring to bariatric care and working with centres.

How can I tell that the site is really independent?

You can tell from what is on the site. All centres are in the waiting time table, including hospitals and other clinics. We start with lifestyle and the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) via basic health insurance (basisverzekering), not with surgery. And everywhere it says: discuss it with your GP (huisarts). If you see something that seems one-sided, please report it.

Who is this site intended for?

The site is intended for people with overweight or obesity who want to know what help is available, for their loved ones, and for GPs and practice nurses (POH). We focus mainly on the early stage, when there are still few health problems. Loved ones can find tips under supporting someone with obesity; healthcare professionals in the action plan.

Who is the medical editor?

The name, role and BIG number of the medical editor are on this page in the section on medical review. With the BIG number, you can check in the public BIG register whether someone is a doctor. The editor checks all medical texts before they go online, and again after major changes.

What is the difference with obesitasnederland.com?

Obesitasnederland.com is our sister site and goes into more depth on weight loss injections and weight loss surgery. Overgewicht Nederland starts earlier: with your BMI, with the question of whether your weight is a risk, and with the conversation with your GP (huisarts). If you want to know whether surgery is an option for you, take a look at am I eligible for weight loss surgery.

Is overgewichtnederland.nl part of this site?

Overgewichtnederland.nl is the website of Overgewicht Nederland B.V., a commercial provider of treatments for overweight. Our site is not published there, but we do show their support programme and forward sign-ups made via our form to them. According to both websites, that B.V. shares an address in Amersfoort with our partner WeightWorks Clinics. Read how the programme appears on this site.

Are you the same as the Stichting Over Gewicht?

No, we are not affiliated with the Nederlandse Stichting Over Gewicht of overgewichtnederland.org. That foundation offers, among other things, information and peer support. We are an information guide by Gijs Bodenstaff. If you are looking for contact with others going through the same thing, such a foundation can be a good place. Also read the experiences of people with obesity on this site.

What sources does the site use?

We mainly use official sources: guidelines from the NHG and the medical specialists, figures from CBS, RIVM and Nivel, and information from the Zorginstituut. Waiting times come from ZorgkaartNederland. We have opened every source ourselves, and every figure has a date. At the bottom of each page you will find the sources with links.

What do you do if there is an error on the site?

We correct the mistake as quickly as possible, usually within a week of your report. We add the new date to the corrected figure. If the mistake is major, we also report the correction at the bottom of the page. You can report a mistake via WhatsApp or email; all details are on the page contact the editorial team.

Is there a fixed point of contact for GP practices?

Yes, GPs, practice nurses (POH), practice managers and care groups can schedule a 30-minute online appointment with publisher Gijs Bodenstaff. You might discuss materials, an information evening in your region or collaboration, for example. The appointment link is on the contact page. Read the action plan for obesity care in general practice beforehand.

Sources

• Wikidata – Gijs Bodenstaff (Q139588063) (accessed 25-09-2026)
• ZorgkaartNederland – Wachttijden volumereductieoperatie maag bij overgewicht (accessed 25-09-2026)
• NHG – Registratieadvies NHG-Standaard Obesitas (2025)
• Nivel – Cijfers zorg die de huisarts verleent (2025)
• IGJ – Reclame voor medicijnen op recept mag niet (2024)
• Overgewicht Nederland B.V. – website and footer (accessed 25-09-2026)
• WeightWorks Clinics – Contact (accessed 25-09-2026)
• Nederlandse Stichting Over Gewicht – Over ons (accessed 25-09-2026)