Healthy lifestyle and Nutrition

Unhealthy lifestyles and the increase in lifestyle-related diseases have been a growing problem, for years. We believe that, in order to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, the focus should be on the daily practice. Along the interface of 'evidence-based practice' and 'practice-based evidence', we use research methods that strive for 'real-life robustness'. We translate scientific insights into practice, evaluate initiatives in practice and use the results to obtain new scientific insights.

Healthy sustainable dietary patterns

Most Dutch people eat too few fresh, unprocessed and plant-based products, such as legumes, vegetables and fruit. Eating more plant-based food contributes to healthy growth and development in children and to the prevention of chronic diseases, and aids recovery after illness. Increasing the amount of plant-based food can also help to reduce the negative impact on climate and nature. Therefore, in cooperation with others, such as day-care centres, schools, care institutions and municipalities, we are conducting practical research to promote sustainable and healthy dietary patterns in the Netherlands.

Lifestyle medicine

Lifestyle plays an important role in the development and, sometimes, treatment of chronic lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes. To date, lifestyle has not played a central role in the treatment of chronic diseases. At LBI, we are focused on addressing the causes that underlie these diseases, through implementation and evaluation processes that focus on sustainable behavioural change. Our goal is for every household in the Netherlands to lead a healthy lifestyle and for all general medical clinics to practise lifestyle medicine so that healthy people will stay healthy and sick people become healthier.

More information and contact

If you are interested in getting the help of practice-based researchers to implement scientific insights into sustainable healthy nutrition for children, to evaluate a programme on lifestyle medicine in practice, or to investigate nutrition and lifestyle effects amongst vulnerable groups, then please contact Marieke Battjes-Fries.