HENRY in Amsterdam

The city of Amsterdam is inspiring the international community with its ambitious and determined mission to achieve a healthy weight for all children by 2033. The Amsterdam Healthy Weight Programme is leading a system-wide strategy to achieve a paradigm shift and make a healthy choice the easy choice.

In October 2017 HENRY was invited by the Amsterdam Healthy Weight Programme, working in partnership with the Bernard van Leer Foundation, to train selected staff from the First 1000 Days team and youth health service in the HENRY approach to supporting behaviour

• 94% of respondents rated all aspects of the course Useful or Very Useful, with 92% reporting that the course either Fully Met or Exceeded their expectations.
• Respondents’ average confidence score increased from 6.46 out of 10 at baseline to 8.15 at course completion – a 26% increase in skills, knowledge and confidence to provide effective support when tackling sensitive lifestyle and weight issues with parents of young children.

Personal responses showed that, while much of the factual content of the training was familiar to many participants, the training methodology was radically different and provided a highly effective learning experience. The HENRY approach of communicating evidence-based messages and concepts through experiential training - which models empathy and strengths-based and partnership skills throughout - had a profound impact. Many participants spoke of the transformational nature of the training and valued the opportunity to experience the approach:

“I’ve been on many training courses and felt I left with some more tricks in my backpack. But HENRY has changed me as a person. It’s about being the approach, not doing it. I’ve thought about what it’s like for parents in the last two days in a way I never have before.”