Elisabeth van Rossum

Elisabeth van Rossum, MD, PhD, is internist–endocrinologist and professor in the field of obesity and the biology of stress hormones at Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She is co-founder of the Obesity Center CGG (Centrum Gezond Gewicht), focusing on diagnostics of underlying causes of obesity, including monogenic obesity, and innovative personalized treatments. A major focus of her research is the relationship between stress, glucocorticoids, and obesity.
In 2005, she obtained her PhD (cum laude) at Erasmus University Medical Center, focusing on glucocorticoid exposure and obesity. Van Rossum served as European Clinical Lead of Obesity, Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolism of the European Society of Endocrinology (2021–2025) and is currently a member of the International Guideline Committee for Obesity Pharmacotherapy of the Endocrine Society.
Her work is driven by a strong commitment to improving care for people living with obesity, developing more effective treatments, and reducing obesity-related stigma. She chaired the Dutch National Obesity Guideline Committee (2023) and has published over 250 scientific articles.
Van Rossum is a frequently invited speaker at scientific conferences and public meetings and regularly appears in national and international media. In 2019, she co-authored the international bestseller FAT, the Secret Organ (Dutch: VET belangrijk). In January 2026, the updated book VET belangrijk 2.0 was published.