Lifestyle medicine

We have established a broad-based lifestyle coalition (available in Dutch), along with TNO and the Netherlands Patient Federation, to identify what knowledge is needed for lifestyle to become a systematic part of treatment, or curative care.

The coalition issues its first call for proposals, based on the question of how we can make lifestyle an integral part of regular healthcare, for people with health problems, medical conditions or illness. The call (availabe in Dutch) is issued by ZonMw, SGF and Health~Holland in collaboration

Can lifestyle be used as a way of alleviating chronic medical conditions? Ten consortiums (available in Dutch) are investigating which lifestyle interventions are suitable for which conditions and which patients, to treat things like psychological conditions, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes.

Several consortiums are also embarking on additional research. This will provide knowledge about implementation and impact so that professional practitioners and policymakers can implement the lifestyle interventions in question in the best possible way.

Methods such as training and digital tools have been developed in collaboration with doctors to help them prescribe exercise as medicine, since little action is being taken in healthcare in relation to the importance of an active lifestyle. View the results achieved with Exercise is Medicine (available in Dutch).

Exercise is rarely used as an integral part of medical treatment and care, not even preventive care. How can we ensure that healthcare professionals start prescribing exercise as a form of prevention and treatment for diseases and medical conditions? Read about how MOOI in Beweging (available in Dutch) is tackling this social challenge