Samenvatting van de standaard ‘Obesitas’ van het Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: M.J.P. van Avendonk received financial support from sanofi-aventis to attend the EASD congress and for printing her thesis.

• Adults with obesity have a decreased life expectancy and an increased risk of disease.

• Preferred treatment is a combination of lifestyle interventions, consisting of changes in diet, physical exercise and psychological support.

• Normal weight is not an achievable target in most adults, but even a 5-10% weight loss yields significant health gains.

• Obese children run a significant risk of mental and physical illness and often become obese adults. Indeed, the practice guidelines recommend an active approach by the general practitioner if a child appears obese at a consultation, irrespective of the reason for consultation.