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A Dutch pensioner who "identifies as 49" has launched a lawsuit to legally change his age so he can get more luck on Tinder.

Emile Ratelband, 69, wants to change the date of birth on his passport from March 11, 1949 to March 11, 1969.

He says he has had a check-up and is "biologically" 25 years younger than his date of birth claims.

The Netherlands media personality and motivational speaker has applied to a court in the city of Arnhem, south-east of Amsterdam, which is expected to rule on the case within four weeks.

He hopes the move could improve his life as he says he feels discriminated against because of his age.

"When I'm 69, I am limited. If I'm 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I take more hay on my fork," he told the Dutch paper De Telegraaf, quoting a dutch proverb.

"You can change your name. You can change your gender. Why not your age?"

But as well as hoping to improve his employment prospects, Mr Ratelband also hopes the move will give him an edge on dating apps.

"When I'm on Tinder and it says I'm 69, I don't get an answer. When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position," he added.

"Maybe they will say 'you have weak muscles for 49,' and I say 'but not that one, you know'. Come on!"

He claims to have had a checkup and according to his doctors, has the body of a 45-year-old. The paper said he described himself as a "young god".

The pensioner also said he would renounce his pension if he switched his birth date.

But the court was sceptical of the suit as there is no legal mechanism allowing a person to change their birth date, according to newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

And the Netherlands' constitution expressly prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of age.

De Telegraaf described Mr Ratelband as a "positivity guru", who gives talks on neuro-linguistic programming.

He been vocal about his hopes to have children, and attracted flack recently when he made a plea on social media for a surrogate mother.

Coen Wulms, a lifestyle editor for Men's Health and Esquire in the Netherlands told the Standard Dutch men commonly experience cultural pressure to stay "youthful".

He said: "I would not say there is a lot of pressure on Dutch men to stay young but more to appear youthful.

"Signs of aging such as lines, wrinkles and grey hair are not a problem as long as the overall impression a man gives is that he’s fit and energetic. Healthy is the new sexy.

Half of the Dutch population will be 50 or over in 2019, but there is still a stigma around being older. Nearly eight in ten long term unemployed people are over 50 years old, said Mr Wulms.

He added that Mr Ratelband was known in Amsterdam as "someone who thrives on media attention".