The Pet Food Manufacturers Association is asking pet owners in the UK to take part in its "Weigh in Wednesday" campaign, which began May 8, in an effort to encourage pet owners to help their pets lose weight and become healthier.
The campaign comes after new research from the association shows the mismatch between pet owners' perceptions of their pet's body condition and the reality of it. The campaign encourages pet owners to identify their pet's body condition and then work towards the ideal body condition. Pet owners can chart their pet's progress using specially designed tools and share their experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #weighinweds. The campaign involves all those in the pet industry, including pet owners, petfood manufacturers, groomers and animal welfare groups.
According to veterinarian Zara Boland: “The issue of obesity is rapidly reaching a crisis point. Obesity has been linked to health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, whilst it’s inflammatory effect is known to worsen problems like arthritis. With estimates of up to 50 percent of pets exceeding their ideal body condition and recent reports highlighting that 18.5 million dogs and cats in the UK are regularly fed inappropriate diets, the need for pet owner’s education and positive action is now. Collectively we can achieve far more than working alone.”
