Fat cats (and dogs): The challenge is on
Saying there are 54 million overweight cats and dogs in the U.S., the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) -- along with Hill's Pet Nutrition and fitness guru Gunnar Peterson -- launched the 2008 "PetFit Challenge," pledging to help pets lose 50 million pounds in 2008.
The challenge kicked off yesterday in Los Angeles at an event featuring Peterson and the first PetFit Challenge participant -- actress and model Molly Simms, along with her two dogs, Chloe and Poepetten.
Peterson, a professional trainer who has worked with celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and Gwen Stefani, teamed up with the association and the pet food company to create a "People and Pets Fitness video" that provides pet owners with simple exercises to get themselves and their pets in shape.
To get America's pets on track, Hill's and the AVMA are taking the PetFit Challenge on tour, with a mobile interactive "science museum" that will visit 18 cities across the country helping pet owners better understand pet obesity.
Pet owners also can log on to PetFit.com to download the workout video for free and to submit their own pet weight loss success story for a chance to win the America's Fittest Pets contest and an opportunity for their cat or dog to appear in a Hill's advertisement.
"We hope to inspire pet owners to take the weight of their four-legged friends very seriously, as it can be a life-threatening issue," said Gregory S. Hammer, a veterinarian and president of the AVMA. "This challenge offers a unique way to shed light on the effects of bad pet health habits, while encouraging pet owners to take action in a fun, new way."
Comments
50 million pounds of pet weight loss is an awesome goal! If you're curious about whether your own dog might need to lose a few pounds, check out the BARC quiz from the National Canine Weight Check, taking place in February. http://www.stopcanineobesity.com/barc.htm
Posted by: StopCanineObesity | January 23, 2008 11:43 AM
It is also critically important that you research proper pet insurance choices to ensure that your pet has medical coverage for now and into the future.
Posted by: http://www.Pet-Insurance-Information.com | January 23, 2008 5:25 PM
my goodness..that is a fat cat over there..i wish you could upload his photo on my site http://www.mycatishot.com for people to see him :-)
Posted by: Cat Pictures | January 24, 2008 1:44 AM
The primary cause of over weight pets is likely corn based diets. Remember, corn is used to fatten cattle and other livestock. And, yes, the company mentioned makes this very food.
Unfortunately, many pet food makers think that they can add a few naturals like herb extracts and spinach and all will be better. They think that the corn can remain because it is a cheap source.
Well, aromatic herbs draw fleas to the animal, and spinach is now believed to be a factor in urinary problems in cats.
Just because a substance works well for people does not make this so for animals. They need to do more research before they fill the pet foods with all the new additives that are showing up in our own prepared food supply - such as inulin which can cause reactions in people, or burdock root which is an old Chinese medicine herb.
Communist China will be the biggest supplier of these new fibers and many new starches - they are simply going to be cheap fillers. Consumers need to do some research.
I am the health writer for National Pet Press and I research these issues constantly. And yes, the food supply is continually changing. My advice to pet owners is Read The Label.
Posted by: Nell Liquorman | January 31, 2008 9:03 AM
Nell - great feedback, I'm definitely going to check my Pug Ella's food ingredients and see if there is corn in it. Since Pugs are likely to be overweight, it would be a good idea to take any corn out of her diet. Has checked to see if their vet is participating in the National Canine Weight Check this month? I actually found that Ella's vet is registered! More than 4,000 vets are signed up, but here's the whole list to find yours and make an appointment to get your dog weighed for good health, www.stopcanineobesity/findavet. I'm interested in hearing what the vet says after someone takes their dog. Nell - I'll let you know what I find out about Ella's food. Thanks for the info.
Posted by: stopcanineobesity | February 6, 2008 1:19 PM