White logo with three abstract human figures above the text "ADIPOSITAS PACT STICHTING | FONDATION PACTE ADIPOSITE FOUNDATION FOR THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS WITH OBESITY" on a light background.

Pacte Adiposité – Adipositas Pact is a Private Foundation established under Belgian law representing the rights of citizens with obesity.

 

Chapter 5

The right tofree choiceof your healthcare provider

Patients in Belgium generally have the right to choose their own health practitioner which is most appropriate for their particular medical and health status. This is currently not the case for People Living with Obesity due to a shortage of trained professionals on the one hand and systemic bias which can also lead to discriminatory practices towards people living with obesity throughout the diagnosis, treatment and long term management of the medical condition. In light of the move towards centralising of care in primary care (Family Doctors and Policlinics), the existing barriers are at high risk of substantially escalating if not addressed for People Living with Obesity.

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Table of Contents

  1. A protected legal status for the 4.5 million People Living with pre-Obesity and obesity in Belgium
  2. The right to a quality service from early diagnosis and screening through to treatment and long term management.
  3. A right to access to early diagnosis and screening for obesity in its own right
  4. Access to acute interdisciplinary treatment and long-term management
  5. The right to free choice of your healthcare provider
  6. The right to information about your state of health
  7. Rights concerning primary and secondary use of our health information
  8. The right to participate in shaping, monitoring and evaluating the healthcare system from policies to practices

As a confluence of circumstances that the whole of society constantly condemns you for, and meanwhile you flounder on as a person with obesity

~(Patient)

To overcome such a large unmet medical need, steps should be taken by the government, University Associations for Belgium and where appropriate The Netherlands and Luxembourg and related health insurers to:

  1. Introduce compulsory education modules on treating obesity in a multi-disciplinary way
  2. Including expert patients in building the practical use cases for such education
  3. Stipulate that “conventioned” as well as “non-conventioned” health professionals have received 60 credits worth of obesity education during their basic training and also have a set amount of ongoing professional development points that they should achieve on topics along the chronic disease continuum to keep up to date with “state of the art” in obesity early diagnosis, screening and long-term management.
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
A single wilted lily flower with dried petals and one green leaf lying on a white background.

Acknowledgements

The Foundation for the Rights of Citizens with Obesity is a non-profit Private Foundation established under Belgian law, led by citizens of lived experience with obesity representing our rights towards access to healthcare.

This project has been driven by and for us in collaboration with VUB and KU Leuven as Research Partners.

We would also like to acknowledge the financial support and contribution of expertise as part of the multi-stakeholder focus groups from Novo Nordisk Belgium, J&J Belgium and Third-i bvba in the realisation of all elements to this initiative.

Research Partners

Logo of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, featuring the acronym "VUB" in white letters on a blue square, with "Vrije Universiteit Brussel" written to the right in blue text.
The image shows the KU Leuven logo with white text on a dark blue rectangular background and a light blue border on the top and left sides.

Dissemination Partners

Logo of the Belgian Association for the Study of Obesity (BASO), with the letter "O" depicted as a yellow circular brushstroke.
Logo of Obesity Platform Belgium featuring a blue and green abstract circular design next to the text "OPB Obesity Platform Belgium" on a white background.