Child and pet obesity are both on the rise

Since 1980, the number of overweight children in the United States has tripled, climbing to 15 percent. In comparison, the National Research Council estimates 15 percent of pets were overweight a decade ago and nearly 40 percent are overweight today. Given a culture that increasingly regards pets as family members—and even children—with a place at an over-bountiful table, the rising number of overweight pets should come as no surprise.

Susan Nitzke, Ph.D., a nutrition expert with the Institute of Food Technologists and professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, says that, like parents of obese children, pet owners with overweight pets must be approached with great sensitivity and a positive message. These pet owners might treat their pets like children, but Nitzke, a certified and registered dietician, sees a crucial difference.

“When it comes to providing nutrition for pets, the owner's responsibility does not decrease as the pet grows older,” she says. “As children grow, they are expected to handle an increasing array of choices, at home and away from home. But a pet is utterly dependent on its owner's food decisions. Over time, this may put greater responsibility on the part of a pet owner, which gives practitioners all the more reason to encourage that responsibility,” Nitzke says.