Healthcare focuses on preventing and curing disease where it can. Contemporary health problems are to a large extent preventable through behavioural change, environmental modification, early detection or other science-based interventions. Nutrition and exercise play an important role in both the onset and treatment of health problems. Partly because of the increasing number of affluent people and the increasing number of risk factors for chronically ill people in society, such as obesity and lack of exercise, the question is increasingly what people and their environment themselves can do to prevent or cure diseases and optimise their health. Submitters raised questions on topics such as: How do our behaviour and lifestyle - such as exercise, smoking, nutrition, sleep - affect our physical and mental health? What lifestyle and behaviours affect physical health in children and adults? Can we positively influence chronic physical conditions with healthy lifestyle and behavioural interventions? Research into the influence of factors such as lifestyle and behaviour on physical and mental disorders provides insight into the causal relationships between them and enables the development of effective treatments.
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The question requires basic research into the causes of diseases, and more applied research aimed at developing and evaluating methods to address those causes. Major breakthroughs are likely to come from multidisciplinary research, as for example from collaboration between exercise science, epidemiology and engineering when it comes to exercise behaviour. The social and scientific importance is shown by the fact that these topics are mentioned in all kinds of social, economic and scientific agendas in Dutch society, with important implications for mental and physical health care and for social, economic and technological developments. Focusing on prevention, allowing people to stay healthy, work and participate in society for longer, is necessary for the Dutch economy and for containing national healthcare costs. Moreover, focusing on prevention will contribute to improving the quality of life for various groups in society.
