Man and His Canine and Feline Friends: Why Are We Still Too Fat?

Obesity now impacts countries of all economic levels, and with it, ill health and lost productivity. Worldwide the rate of human obesity has nearly doubled since 1980, with similar increases in childhood obesity. The United States has the highest rates, with about 2/3 and 1/3 of the population overweight or obese, respectively. Percentages are similar in the UK, with an estimated 61% of adults and 31% of children overweight and almost 1/4 of adults in England obese.
Similarly, overweight or obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in companion animals in many countries, with an estimated 400% increase in the last 25 years in the UK. Surveys have reported incidence rates of overweight and obesity between 24% and 59% in adult dogs and 19 to 40% in adult cats, depending on the country and the method of study enrolment1,2,3 .
“Overweight” refers to having excess body fat, while obesity is a body weight of 15 to 20% or more above ideal. Poor recognition of the condition by owners contributes to pet obesity. In one study only 30% of owners of overweight dogs recognized that their dogs were too fat. About a third of cat owners underestimated their cat’s body condition score, especially if their cat was overweight or was long haired. […]