Position paper: Behavioral expertise key to effective lifestyle policy

Much more attention should be paid to the expertise of behavior change in one of society's greatest challenges: getting people to adopt healthy lifestyles and prevention, especially in times of Covid. Twelve renowned behavioral experts, including Medical Delta Professor of Healthy Society Prof. Dr. Andrea Evers, call for action in a position paper.

The importance of a healthy lifestyle is structurally underexposed, the corona pandemic made that painfully clear. During the crisis it became clear once again that informing or advising people is not enough when it comes to effective policy. After all, lifestyle change is behavioral change. Therefore, the twelve renowned behavioral experts call for action: primarily deploy behavioral expertise in the development and implementation of interventions and policy in the field of lifestyle. Only then will we achieve our goal of a sustainably healthier Netherlands.

Behavioral science expertise

So far, behavioral science expertise is used to a limited extent to keep healthcare inclusive, affordable and running. Policies and interventions are implemented without behavioral science expertise and thus lose effectiveness. Many programs or measures thus miss the mark. In the position paper ‘Gedragsexpertise is de sleutel tot effectief leefstijlbeleid’(NL) endorsed by many leading organizations and experts - including Medical Delta - behavioral experts make it clear that it is essential to make the role of behavior an indispensable part of prevention and care.

Making use of momentum

Let's make use of the momentum and utilize the behavioral science knowledge that exists in the Netherlands for prevention. The corona crisis has shown that behavioral change is essential. Behavioral scientists know how behavioral change can be effectively supported and thus a healthier and more vital Netherlands for all can be achieved, but then it is essential that behavioral expertise is much better used in policy and intervention development.

The behavioral experts and authors of the position paper:

Andrea Evers (Professor of Health Psychology, Leiden University and Medical Delta Professor of Healthy Society, Leiden University/TU Delft/Erasmus University), Pepijn van Empelen (Social Psychologist, TNO), Marieke Adriaanse (Professor of Behavioral Interventions in Population Health, Leiden University/LUMC) Aarnout Brombacher (Professor of Design Theory and Information Flow Analysis, TU Eindhoven), Lex Burdorf (Professor of Determinants of Public Health, Erasmus MC), Lisette Gemert-van Pijnen (Professor of Persuasive Health Technology, University of Twente), Stef Kremers (Professor of Health Promotion, Maastricht University), Anne Roefs (Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience of Abnormal Eating, Maastricht University) Jaap Seidell (Professor of Nutrition and Health, VU Amsterdam), Sabita Soedamah-Muthu (Associate Professor, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences), Karien Stronks (Professor of Public Health, Amsterdam UMC) and Emely de Vet (Professor of Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles, WUR)