In 2023, over 35 percent of adults in the Netherlands were classed as overweight, meaning they had a body mass index (BMI)of between 25 and 30. Furthermore, just under 16 percent of adults were obese, which is defined as having a BMI greater than 30. Trend shows an increase in obesity In 2001, less than ten percent of the Dutch population was classed as obese. Meaning that in 20 years, the proportion of obese adults in the Netherlands has increased by around five percent. The share of the overweight population in the Netherlands has not changed much since 2001, although this is mainly due to parts of the population having increased their BMI, from between 25 and 30, to greater than 30. Future trends need action According to the World Obesity Federation, the Netherlands has very little chance of meeting the 2025 target set by the UN to halt the rise in obesity. All member states had agreed to attempt to halt the prevalence of obesity in their countries at 2010 levels. As of 2020, the Netherlands were given a two percent chance of meeting the targets among women and a zero percent of chance of meeting them among men. A poor outlook that is common around the EU since every member state was given a rating that ranks as a ‘very poor chance’ of meeting the obesity targets.

Approximately half of all people in the Netherlands had a normal body weight in 2022, measured by the industry-standard Body Mass Index method. Men were more likely to be overweight than women, whereas more women than men were underweight. Interestingly, obesity was found more often among women, with approximately 14 percent of Dutch females suffering from being severely overweight. Looking at the overall population, more than half of the Dutch inhabitants aged 20 years and older were overweight.

Weight issues vary between generations

Age groups in the Netherlands suffered from several different health problems related to weight and body image. A recent study found that obesity occured in more than 17 percent of Dutch inhabitants aged 50 to 64 years old, whereas only 9 percent of Gen Z and millennials (aged 18 to 34 years old) were obese. When confronted with the question of how they perceive their own bodies, nearly 50 percent of the Dutch millennials think they are overweight. This may have something to do with the omnipresence of unattainable beauty ideals on social media, often portrayed by fitgirl/boy influencers.

Global perspective

When looking at adults, the share of obesity in the Netherlands was quite close to the global average, being much lower than in the United States, Russia, or Iceland, to name but a few examples. In contrast, the prominence of underweight issues among Dutch youth was disproportionate in an international context. Nearly 10 percent of Dutch 13 and 15-year-old boys were underweight, which was more than in any other European country. the aforementioned negative body image may have been part of the cause for this frequency of underweight issues.