It’s certainly not new information that the United States has a weight problem, or that the epidemic has spread to our pets. One out of three US pets are overweight and the statistics are getting worse. Since pets are dependent on us for their meals, it would be reasonable to assume that the states with the highest rates of human obesity would also have the most overweight pets. Surprisingly, a new study has found that in many cases, the opposite is true.
The Banfield Applied Research & Knowledge (BARK) team analyzed data collected from 2.5 million dogs and 500,000 cats throughout their US clinics during 2016. The results were concerning. Over the past 10 years, the number of overweight pets has drastically increased by 158% for dogs and 169% for cats.
(Note: there are no Banfield clinics in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, so there is no data for these states in the study.)
When it came to breaking the statistics down by state, the researchers were surprised to find that the pet results did not match up with the human stats. The five states with the highest percentages of obese people are:
- Arkansas
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Alabama
Shockingly, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama ranked in the bottom five for obese pets, and Arkansas was number six! The researchers are not sure of the reasons for this strange anomaly, but they do have a theory – parasites. The states with the lower rates of obesity tended to have higher parasite infection rates, and intestinal parasites make it difficult for pets to gain and maintain weight.
Minnesota was found to be the state with the chunkiest pets. 41% of dogs and 46% of cats seen at Minnesota Banfield clinics were rated by veterinarians as overweight or obese last year. On the human side of the equation, Minnesota doesn’t even rank in the top 70% – they are the 36th heaviest state out of 50.
Nebraska ties Missouri and Pennsylvania as the United State’s 20th most obese state, yet it has the second heaviest pets in the country! 39% of dogs and 43% of cats in Nebraska are overweight or obese.
After Minnesota and Nebraska, the most obese pet states diverge for dogs and cats. For dogs, Michigan, Idaho and Nevada round out the top five. For cats, Iowa is number three, followed by Idaho and Delaware.
According to Kirk Breuninger, a veterinarian on the Banfield research team, the upward trend in overweight pets is likely caused by several factors. With pet owners overwhelmingly considering pets to be members of the family, they often “show love” in the form of extra treats, scraps or kibble. There is also a lack of understanding of what “overweight” actually means as larger body types increasingly become the norm.
Experts also note confusion about the best foods to feed (grain free, organic, raw, etc.) as a contributing factor. And they haven’t ruled out genetics, either. A gene variation in Labrador Retrievers that causes overeating and weight gain was identified last year.
Want to find out how your state ranks? Check out the entire BARK study here.
H/T to Banfield.com
Featured Images via Flickr/Swong 95765 & Flickr/Dan Perry
