A Dutch court on Monday rejected a legal request by a 69-year old motivational speaker to be recognised as 20 years younger than his actual age. 

Emile Ratelband started a legal challenge last month arguing that if transgender people were allowed to legally change sex, he should be allowed to change his date of birth because doctors said he has the body of a 45-year-old.

But in its decision, the local court in the city of Arnhem said: "Mr. Ratelband is at liberty to feel 20 years younger than his real age and to act accordingly, but amending his date of birth would cause 20 years of records to vanish from the register of births, deaths, marriages and registered partnerships. This would have a variety of undesirable legal and societal implications."

According to international media reports, the court said Dutch law assigned rights and obligations based on age, such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school and that Mr Ratelband's request would have rendered those age requirements "meaningless".

Mr Ratelband had argued that reducing his age would allow him to go back to work and achieve greater success with women on Tinder.

"I have done a check-up and what does it show? My biological age is 45 years," he said.

Mr Ratelband was born on March 11, 1949, but says he feels at least 20 years younger and wants to change his birth date to March 11, 1969.

"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."

Mr Ratelband is a media personality and motivational speaker, who is a trainer in neurolinguistic programming.