Promoting a healthy lifestyle and maintaining it over a longer period of time is crucial for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This is why the Dutch Heart Foundation and ZonMw are investing a total of €600,000 in a new national network: Healthy living in a healthy environment (in Dutch: Gezond leven in een gezonde omgeving). The goal is to achieve a sustainable and impactful lifestyle change in the population.
This autumn, the Dutch Heart Foundation and ZonMw asked the three healthy living consortia Supreme Nudge, LIKE and Benefit to join forces on this theme by utilizing the knowledge they had acquired in recent years. Although the three consortia each had a different approach, the research leaders agree on what is needed for lifestyle change to be truly successful: a shift in thinking about lifestyle change.
Taking the context into account
Indeed, lifestyle change is only sustainable and impactful if the context in which it takes place is taken into account. The consortium leaders want to disseminate this insight widely among policy makers, researchers and everyone who contributes to stimulating healthy behavior. In this way, we can jointly achieve more health gains when implementing potentially successful interventions.
One of the top priorities
Encouraging people to maintain a healthy lifestyle has been named as one of the top priorities on the research agenda for cardiovascular diseases. Our ideal is that everyone in the Netherlands can live a healthy life for a long time. We want more people to make healthy choices, so that they feel vital and run less risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases. This new national network is very important for this.
The research will be led by Dr. Joreintje Mackenbach (Amsterdam UMC), Dr. Linda Breeman (Leiden University), and Dr. Wilma Waterlander (Amsterdam UMC). Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Ir. Joline Beulens (Amsterdam UMC), Prof. Dr. Karien Stronks (Amsterdam UMC), and Prof. Dr. Andrea Evers (Leiden University) will fulfill an advisory role within the project.