It is generally accepted that the prevalence of overweight and
obese pets has increased in recent years. Excess weight is the
most common medical condition in companion animals and has a
number of health and wellness implications for both pets and
their owners. (Photo by Gregory Kindred) Certain behaviors
predispose dogs to weight gain. In Part 1 of this two-part
series, we explore common causes of weight gain in dogs and the
consequences of dogs being overweight or obese. In Part 2, we
discuss treatment and monitoring strategies. DEFINING OVERWEIGHT
AND OBESE Obesity is defined as excessive white adipose tissue.1
Human epidemiologic data show increased morbidity and mortality
with increasing body fat mass.2 The most commonly used measure
of body fat in people is the body mass index (BMI: weight [kg]
divided by height2 [m]). People are defined as - Underweight
(BMI < 18.5) - Normal (BMI = 18.5 to 24.9) - Overweight (BMI =
25 to 29.9) - Obese (BMI = 30 to 39.9) - Extremely obese (BMI ≥
40).3-6 Individuals who