Wim Tilburgs Founder Your Lifestyle As Medicine Foundation

When Army veteran and former business executive Wim Tilburgs in 2015 learned that his type 2 diabetes could be reversed, he didn’t waste time. His health was poor, he weighed 125 kilos and could hardly walk 500 meters, additionally suffering from PTSD resulting in bipolar disorder symptoms. Within a week after starting a ketogenic diet, Wim could stop using his diabetes medication, soon followed by ceasing his psychiatric medication. Since then, his weight has been restored to a stable 88 kilos. In 2022 Wim ran several half marathons.

Wim started Je Leefstijl Als Medicijn Foundation (‘Your Lifestyle As Medicine’) to spread the message. Today his online support group on type 2 diabetes counts 2,200 active members who advise and motivate each other. Furthermore, the Foundation launched groups on type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, IBD, mental health and more. In local communities in several Dutch cities the Foundation organises neighborhood-based support groups reaching out to low SES type 2 diabetes patients. The Foundation’s medical basis lies in the metabolic disfunction philosophy as developed (in the Netherlands) by Yvo Sijpkens, internist at Haaglanden hospital and medical adviser to the Foundation.

Wim Tilburgs is actively involved in the development of lifestyle health care, contributing with his Foundation to scientific research from TNO and various universities. He has been invited to take part in several Dutch government advisory teams on the organisation of lifestyle health care.