BASO Parliamentary Colloquium

On Thursday, 28 May, the Federal Parliament opened its doors for an inspiring colloquium on care for people living with obesity in Belgium, made possible with the support of Federal Member of Parliament Nathalie Muylle (CD&V). More than 50 policymakers, healthcare professionals and experts attended, sending a clear signal that obesity care needs to move higher up the policy agenda.

The colloquium brought together a wide range of perspectives. Nathalie Esser, President of BASO, outlined the current care landscape in Belgium, while a patient testimony gave a tangible insight into the daily reality, barriers to care and the impact of stigma. Prof. Dr. Inge Gies focused on prevention and early detection in children, with particular attention to the importance of a coherent care pathway throughout the entire life course.

A panel discussion with field experts — Prof. Dr. Eveline Dirinck, Prof. Dr. Bert Vaes, Dr. Donald Van der Fraenen, An Vandeputte and Federal Member of Parliament Jean-François Gatelier (Les Engagés) — brought these insights together and translated them into concrete needs on the ground, from the crucial role of primary care to the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and an integrated care pathway.

Throughout the various contributions, a clear common thread emerged. Obesity is a complex, chronic and multifactorial condition that cannot be reduced to individual responsibility. At the same time, care today remains too fragmented, with insufficient connection between prevention, early detection and treatment. Patients still too often face stigma and barriers to accessing care, leading to delayed care and inadequate follow-up. There is therefore a need for a more proactive and data-driven approach, with a central role for primary care.

At the same time, it was emphasised that Belgium is not starting from scratch. The necessary expertise already exists. The challenge today lies in bringing these building blocks together into an integrated and accessible care pathway.

Three clear priorities emerged from the colloquium:

1. An integrated, life-course-oriented care pathway with the general practitioner as a key figure
2. A sustainable funding and reimbursement framework for multidisciplinary care
3. A structural commitment to training, data and destigmatisation

These shared insights and priorities were given concrete follow-up. The momentum generated by the colloquium has translated into a draft resolution on the prevention of obesity and the improvement of care for people living with obesity, which will be submitted by Federal Member of Parliament Nathalie Muylle.