This guide covers 4 places in Groningen, with roughly 415,946 inhabitants in total, counted at municipal level. People living there get treatment at 1 of the Netherlands' twenty DATO-certified centres. In this province, most places are served by Frisius Medisch Centrum in Leeuwarden. Weight loss surgery is paid for by the Dutch basic insurance if you have a valid indication and a referral from your GP; the only cost to you is the €385 deductible for 2026.
- How many places this guide includes: 4
- Residents, counted per municipality: around 415,946
- DATO centres serving these places: 1
- Serving centre with the most procedures: Frisius Medisch Centrum
- Indicative upper limit for adults with obesity: roughly 65,000
Which DATO centres serve Groningen?
Frisius Medisch Centrum
Frisius Medisch Centrum is located in Leeuwarden and performed 670 primary procedures in 2024, number 6 of the twenty Dutch centres by volume. In this guide it is the centre for 4 places in Groningen: Groningen, Leek, Hoogezand, Delfzijl. Whether this centre is covered in full depends on your insurer's contracts; check before your referral.
| Centre | Location | Primary procedures 2024 | Places from Groningen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frisius Medisch Centrum | Leeuwarden | 670 | 4 |
Places in Groningen and their centre
The table lists every place from Groningen in this guide, with inhabitants at municipal level and the centre residents are usually referred to. Each place has a detailed page in Dutch.
| Place (Dutch page) | Inhabitants | Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Groningen | 244,427 | Frisius Medisch Centrum |
| Leek | 65,067 | Frisius Medisch Centrum |
| Hoogezand | 61,346 | Frisius Medisch Centrum |
| Delfzijl | 45,106 | Frisius Medisch Centrum |
Groningen place by place
Groningen has about 244,427 inhabitants at municipal level. Residents are usually referred to Frisius Medisch Centrum in Leeuwarden; applying the national obesity rate gives an indicative upper limit of about 38,100 people with obesity. The Dutch page for Groningen has local details, and there are Dutch pages for the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and mini bypass from Groningen as well.
Leek has about 65,067 inhabitants at municipal level. Residents are usually referred to Frisius Medisch Centrum in Leeuwarden; applying the national obesity rate gives an indicative upper limit of about 10,200 people with obesity. The Dutch page for Leek has local details, and there are Dutch pages for the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and mini bypass from Leek as well.
Hoogezand has about 61,346 inhabitants at municipal level. Residents are usually referred to Frisius Medisch Centrum in Leeuwarden; applying the national obesity rate gives an indicative upper limit of about 9,600 people with obesity. The Dutch page for Hoogezand has local details, and there are Dutch pages for the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and mini bypass from Hoogezand as well.
Delfzijl has about 45,106 inhabitants at municipal level. Residents are usually referred to Frisius Medisch Centrum in Leeuwarden; applying the national obesity rate gives an indicative upper limit of about 7,000 people with obesity. The Dutch page for Delfzijl has local details, and there are Dutch pages for the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and mini bypass from Delfzijl as well.
Neighbouring provinces
If a centre in a neighbouring province is closer to your home or better suits your insurance, you can also look there. Groningen borders Friesland, Drenthe. Each province page lists its centres and their 2024 volumes.
Aftercare from Groningen
The aftercare schedule runs for a minimum of five years. At Vitalys, for instance, check-ups take place 6, 12 and 18 months after surgery and yearly after that until five years have passed, each including blood work. Numerous centres also offer online contact alongside visits. When you pick a centre from Groningen, check which appointments are possible remotely and how you can contact the team after hours. Taking WLS vitamins is lifelong, and blood is still tested every year after aftercare ends; your GP usually handles this.
How many people in Groningen have obesity?
Nationally, 15.6 percent of Dutch adults had obesity in 2024 according to the Health Monitor of RIVM, Statistics Netherlands and the GGDs, with a range of 11.6 to 19.2 percent between GGD regions. Applied to the roughly 415,946 inhabitants of the places above, that gives an indicative upper limit of about 65,000 people with obesity. It is an upper limit because the percentage refers to adults only, while inhabitant figures include children. Regional figures are published on vzinfo.nl.
Who in this group can have surgery? Only those with a BMI of 40, or of 35 combined with a condition related to weight, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea. If that does not apply, supervised medication, a lifestyle programme or a gastric balloon may be a better fit. See all obesity treatment options.
Getting weight loss surgery from Groningen: step by step
- Register with a GP in your municipality; the GP is the gatekeeper for hospital care.
- Check your insurance: is Frisius Medisch Centrum contracted by your insurer, or another centre that suits you better?
- Take part in an information session; it is often online. Ask the centre whether it also runs one in English.
- Assessment by a dietitian, a psychologist and an internist.
- Operation and aftercare: after a brief admission, check-ups continue for a minimum of five years. How long it takes to travel from Groningen to the centre therefore counts.
Choosing a centre as a resident of Groningen
Nobody requires you to choose the centre that most people in your town go to. Weigh up waiting times, travel time over five years of aftercare, which centres your insurer has contracts with, and whether information is offered in English. Because one main centre serves this province, it pays to look at centres in the neighbouring provinces as well. More on how to choose an obesity clinic and on costs and insurance cover.
Useful Dutch terms for residents of Groningen
Verwijzing means the letter of referral that is required. Huisarts is your general practitioner, through whom hospital care is accessed. Huisartsenpost is where you turn with urgent matters outside office hours, on evenings and weekends. Eigen risico is the obligatory excess: in 2026 that comes to 385 euros. Basispakket is the basic health insurance package, and weight loss surgery falls under it.
More in English
Sources
- Centre volumes: DICA, DATO Annual Report 2024
- CBS via AlleCijfers.nl and citypopulation.de: inhabitants
- Obesity rates: Gezondheidsmonitor 2024 by RIVM, CBS and GGD
Frequently asked questions
In this guide, places in Groningen are served by 1 DATO-certified centre: Frisius Medisch Centrum. Most places fall under Frisius Medisch Centrum.
These 4 places are home to some 415,946 people at municipal level. A full page in Dutch is available for each one.
Yes, with a valid indication and a GP referral it is covered by the Dutch basic package. You pay the mandatory deductible of 385 euros in 2026.
At national level, obesity affects 15.6 percent of adults. If you apply that share to the places in this guide, you get an indicative ceiling of around 65,000 people.
Yes. Your insurer has to cover it, though. Do take travel time into account, as you will have aftercare for a minimum of five years.
The Amersfoort centre WeightWorks Clinics, which performed 1,598 first-time procedures in 2024 (DATO annual report).
Request a referral from the huisarts, your GP. Go for a bariatric centre your insurance company has a contract with this year, if possible.
Ask the centre in good time about language: while many Dutch doctors and nurses speak English, group sessions and materials are in many cases Dutch.
Also available in Dutch. Author: Gijs Bodenstaff. Last reviewed: September 2026.