Are we feeding our pets too much? Apparently so. One quarter of our cats and dogs are overweight, according to nutrition facts recently gathered by the National Research Council.
"It does not surprise me that pets are more and more obese," says psychologist Alan Entin, an expert in pets. "They have same lifestyle we have."
"We tend to treat pets as members of the family," says Entin. He surmises that many families may be guilty of overfeeding their pets because they are trying to make them happy. Most pet owners don't see that an extra snack or two could affect their pet's weight.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in every three Americans is obese and two out of three citizens are overweight. "We overfeed our kids, and we do the same with our pets," he continues. "We really have to set limits and realize what we are doing."
