I was at the vet clinic the other day to pick up my dog's allergy meds and while waiting noticed their stack of pet magazines.  One was specific to dogs, the other to cats.  And guess what the covers for both were all about  – weight loss for pets.  Article upon article about it.  As if our obsession with our own bodies isn't enough, we are now obsessing over our pet's weight. 

I understand that we all love our pets and want them to be healthy, but we are once again jumping to the conclusion that health is determined primarily by weight.

We also tend to treat our pets in a way that parallels ourselves.  Don't give your body much movement?  Chances are you don't get your pet out for walks or much active play either.  How can we expect animals to thrive when we don't allow them to do the things their bodies are destined for?  This is true for humans too.  And look at all the health and quality of life problems we are having related to inactivity. 

Does your pet get a lot of unstructured feeding?  How about all of those treats for every time he's a "good boy," or those scraps of food off your plate?  Sure, it sounds like a sweet thing to do for your pet, but if done extensively it conditions them to be constantly eating more than what their bodies need. 

Let's start taking care of our pets in the way that they deserve.  This means daily activity and structured feeding per their unique needs.  They don't worry about their weight, and you probably already worry enough about your own weight for the both of you.  Trust that if you are taking care of them, their bodies will take care of themselves.  Animals are intuitive eaters, until humans train them not to be.