Why Pets Get Fat

A new study suggests that between 20 and 40 percent of US dogs are obese. That's right along the the lines of the 32 percent of US adults who are obese. Is there a correlation between fat people and fat pets? It seems that way. Obesity rates among people and dogs seem to be going in tandem. But is it obesity in people causing obesity in dogs? Are dogs more likely to be fat if they live with overweight people?

On one hand, you might imagine that folks who go running or engage in other outdoor activities might take their dogs with them while sedentary people have sedentary dogs. On the other hand, wouldn't fat people be less likely to feed leftovers to the dog?

Yep! According to this1998 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, overweight dogs are three times as likely to have overweight owners than are normal dogs. The study also reports that dogs are more likely to get fat if their owners talk to them, watch them eat and share a bed with them. Those same owners are less likely to take their pet for a walk. In short, the study concludes, dogs are more likely to be fat if their owners treat them like a fellow human rather than a dog.


There's more. According to this French study surveying 616 dogs, dogs are more likely to be obese if their owners are retired, over the age of 40 or live in a house as opposed to an apartment. Sounds to me like we can blame dog obesity on the aging population and growing rates of home ownership. Oh, for the good old days when everyone was starving and living in apartments...

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