50% of US dogs and cats are now overweight

The latest report from the Association for Pet Obesity prevention shows more than 50% of US dogs and cats are now overweight or obese, according to an article by Gwendolyn Bounds in the Wall Street Journal.

Conducted in partnership with Banfield, the line of pet hospitals owned by Mars, the survey also indicates pet owners deserve the main share of blame, Bounds writes, because they regularly overfeed their pets, don't give them enough exercise and are not educated about the serious health consequences of pet obesity.

The article goes on to highlight products designed to help combat the problem, including, of course, petfoods formulated to help reduce weight. But the focus is on owner awareness and education, because, as Steven Budsberg, director of clinical research at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine is quoted in the article: "I never met a German Shepherd who could open the refrigerator or food bag and pour himself another bowl."

Which makes it all the more essential, I believe, for petfood packaging and labels to include calorie content information and -- perhaps even more importantly -- feeding directions and measurements that are clear and easy for the average pet owner to understand and follow. That means directions in terms of common measurements such as cups or portions of cans. (Let's face it, most people cannot interpret and apply things like kilocalories per grams.)

In January the Association of American Feed Control Officials moved one step closer to mandating that such information be included on all dog and cat food and treat labels, via an amendment to the AAFCO Model Regulations. The amendment still has several hurdles to clear in the AAFCO approval process; if it passes them all, the earliest it could be approved would be 2012. Then a grace period to allow manufacturers to comply would likely mean another year or two before the information was available to pet owners.

Yet to me, it's good to know at least the movement is still under way. I understand some people and companies in the industry have what they consider valid reasons for fighting this amendment. But can you really argue against a 50%+ overweight/obesity rate in companion animals?

It's true that providing the information is no guarantee that pet owners will follow it; you could argue that human food labels have been required to include information on calories, fat, sodium and all sorts of other substances for a while now, and the overweight/obesity rate in humans (at least in the US) keeps climbing, too. But unless and until such data is available for petfoods, veterinarians, other experts and conscientious pet parents trying to combat pet obesity are fighting without what could prove to be the most valuable weapon of all: information.