Johnson: Obesity in pets a growing problem

One of the first indicators of easy livin’ is food – good food and lots of it means you’ve crossed a precipice of sorts, transitioning from rudimentary survival to steady comfort.

In the human world, affluence and success are often measured by material possessions and the ease with which one is able to move through life and so it’s natural that one of the often-overlooked components is the quantity, quality and availability of food that accompanies success — at least for those who have it.

In search of ponies

Human or animal, living in basic mode — scavenging and hunting for meals without consistency, reliability, or room for preference — is tough and obtaining food is a top priority that gets an overwhelming portion of time, energy and attention.

Indulging, therefore, only makes sense, because when the food is readily available and gets fancier and tastier, one has arrived.

Yep that’s right, if you ever wondered what success sounds like for most species, chewing, slurping and crunching are a good place to start.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to get carried away, and all too often, the sounds evolve into wheezing, grunts and groans with slight exertion and panting breath on the shortest of treks.

There’s a spectrum at play in the sustenance game, and as with any spectrum, there are extremes at the ends with balance in the middle. No nourishment and too much nourishment will get a creature to the same place — discomfort, ill health, deterioration and ultimately, death.

Obesity, that state when a body’s fat content exceeds what it can healthily manage, is a leading health concern for the modern era as human society continues to improve its access to food.

Graciously, humans are sharing their easy livin’ with pets, and yes, as a result, they are becoming obese right alongside us.

The sad reality is that more than half of our critters are not just fluffy; they’re fat.

In 2015, 58 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs were classified as overweight or obese according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

Much like the human obesity trend — officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013 — the growing trend in pet weight gain has triggered a debate among animal health professionals, many of whom are calling for assessment standards and for veterinarians to classify obesity as a disease.

Wednesday is National Pet Obesity day, a day set aside to raise awareness and enlighten pet owners regarding the nutritional health of their animal companions.

Much of the issue, according to animal professionals, comes from the fact that pet owners, pet food companies and even veterinarians are shooting in the dark when it comes to proper and adequate (but not excessive) feeding, and lack clear understanding of what is healthy versus excess weight.

Well-intended pet owners often overfeed, struggling to make sense of feeding guidelines or not realizing that most commercial pet feed is packed with nutrients and can be fed in smaller quantities that may not seem like enough.

Sedentary lifestyles, rampant in the human world, are also likely affecting pets, who are well fed but inactive, a recipe for unhealthy weight gain.

If your pet’s weight is a matter of concern, free tools to help recognize obesity in pets — for instance, who knew a 12-pound Yorkie is the equivalent of a 218-pound woman — and guides to feeding, weight loss and exercise are available at http://www.petobesityprevention.org, and, as always, a conversation with a veterinarian is a great way to start making healthy changes.

Who knows, maybe helping the critters get back to healthy living will help us humans find the way too.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

[email protected]