Which help suits you? Take the test

That depends on your BMI, your waist circumference, your health and what you have already tried. GPs (huisartsen) follow the NHG guideline on obesity (NHG-Standaard Obesitas) for this: lifestyle first, and only if that does not achieve enough, medication or surgery. The questionnaire compares your answers with those steps and shows which route makes sense now. It is advice, not a diagnosis.

The questionnaire itself does not give you access to medication or surgery, because these always go through your GP (huisarts) or specialist. It does show you which criteria apply to you. According to the NHG guideline (NHG-Standaard), medication becomes an option at a BMI of 35 or higher with a disease, or 40 or higher, after at least one year of combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) with less than 10% weight loss.

An online test is as reliable as the criteria behind it and the answers you give. This questionnaire uses the criteria of the NHG, the Zorginstituut and the NVvH, and states the source with every piece of advice. A doctor looks further than a questionnaire, for example at your blood values and your medical history. So take your result with you to your GP.

For the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI), it is not just your BMI that counts. With a BMI of 25 to 35, you are also eligible with a large waist circumference: 88 centimetres or more for women and 102 or more for men. For people with an Asian background, those limits are lower. If you do not know your waist circumference, skip the question. Your GP (huisarts) or practice nurse (POH) can measure it.

Because the guidelines mention different limits for some groups. People with an Asian or Hindustani background are more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a lower weight. The NVvH therefore advises considering surgery for them from a BMI of 35. The question is voluntary. Your answer is only included if you tick the box yourself.

A GP (huisarts) can prescribe weight loss medication, but according to the NHG-Standaard only if a year of GLI achieved too little. Liraglutide (Saxenda) and naltrexone/bupropion (Mysimba) are reimbursed under certain conditions. Semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are not reimbursed for obesity. More explanation is available at weight loss medication according to the GP guideline.

Semaglutide as a diabetes medicine (Ozempic) is registered in the Netherlands as a medicine for diabetes, not as a weight loss medicine, according to the inspectorate IGJ. For overweight, the relevant product is semaglutide (Wegovy), and that too is only available on prescription. Never order medicines without a prescription online. The IGJ explicitly warns against this.

Then the questionnaire asks which medicine you use, which phase you are in and whether you have side effects. You always decide your dose with the doctor who prescribes it. The advice focuses on what support can add: enough protein and exercise to preserve your muscles, dealing with side effects and preparing for the moment you stop.

Medication and surgery have side effects and risks, and you weigh these up together with a doctor. With semaglutide, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and vomiting occur in 10 to 30 out of 100 people, according to Apotheek.nl. That is why the questionnaire also asks about side effects, pregnancy and other medication use, and refers you to your GP if in doubt.

A healthy first goal is 5 to 10% of your weight. How much weight someone loses with a GLI varies from person to person; according to referral information on the GLI from Máxima MC, losing 5 to 10% of your weight already brings considerable health benefits. That is why the questionnaire result shows that goal in kilos. The GLI itself lasts 24 months and does not count towards your compulsory excess (eigen risico).

The combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) is: it is included in basic health insurance (basisverzekering) with no compulsory excess (eigen risico) and no personal contribution, according to the Zorginstituut. Liraglutide and naltrexone/bupropion are reimbursed under certain conditions. You pay for the Overgewicht Nederland B.V. support programme yourself. Check with your insurer whether your supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering) covers anything.

You can look at it, but the advice is intended for adults. The criteria for weight loss surgery apply from age 18, and the support from Overgewicht Nederland B.V. is for adults. If you are younger, talk to your parents and your GP or youth doctor (jeugdarts). They know the help that is available for young people.

You don't have to, but it does help. Print your result or save it as a PDF and take it to your appointment. Your GP (huisarts) will then immediately see your BMI, your goals and what you have already tried. Tips for that conversation are in help with overweight via your GP.

Your GP (huisarts) or practice nurse (POH) is the first point of contact and can refer you to a combined lifestyle intervention (GLI), a dietitian or a specialist. You can also choose support yourself, such as the Overgewicht Nederland B.V. programme in Amersfoort. Which combination suits you depends on your situation. That is exactly what the questionnaire result shows.

According to Overgewicht Nederland B.V., a staff member will call you within one working day. You discuss your situation and ask your questions. Only if you choose a programme will you receive the terms in writing, and you start after signing. Filling in the questionnaire or requesting a call-back comes with no strings attached.