Do These Chemicals Make Me Look Fat?

[LiberalElite]

http://www.propublica.org/article/do-these-chemicals-make-me-look-fat?google_editors_picks=true

Everyone knows Americans are fat and getting fatter, and everyone thinks they know why: more eating and less moving.

But the “big two” factors may not be the whole story. Consider this: Animals have been getting fatter too. The National Pet Obesity Survey recently reported that more than 50 percent of cats and dogs — that’s more than 80 million pets — are overweight or obese. Pets have gotten so plump that there’s now a National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. (It was Wednesday.) Lap dogs and comatose cats aren’t alone in the fat animal kingdom. Animals in strictly controlled research laboratories that have enforced the same diet and lifestyle for decades are also ballooning.

[Warpy]

1. Also consider that it's the classic pattern of an infectious epidemic

In the case of human obesity, it started at the Gulf Coast and spread out from there. It's also through Mexico (now fatter than we are) and other Central American countries. Travel is causing it to spread worldwide.

Third world people can't afford corporate McFood and can't afford to be sedentary. Something else has to be at work and I do hope they keep looking for it.

[pscot]

4. Humans ARE an infectious epidemic

[Warpy]

5. How nice. Bless your heart.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. our 2 chocolate labs are 52 (female) and 60 (male) lbs - when we take them

to the vet, they tell us they are among the very few labs they see that are ideal weight. We keep our cats lean as well.

So sad to see so many overweight dogs around...everywhere.

[IrishAyes]

3. My 2 dogs are ideal weight because I take better care of them

than I do myself. I could stand to lose a few, and have been on that slow road down for over a year. I plateaued half way to my goal weight, just let it hold steady a few months, and am now kicking the effort up again. Dr. Oz says your weight will drop if you give your body a 12 hour break from the last food at night until breakfast or brunch, all else remaining the same. That's good, because now we have permission not to eat breakfast, at least not an early one.

The mini beagle/pom cross seems to regulate herself well. Even with the best food, if she's not hungry she ignores it. The JRT (3" over AKC standard height) will enhale all you put in front of her; but then she runs a lot chasing the ball during our play time, too. For five minutes it's full out speed. And she runs around the yard half the day besides. Still, I limit how much she eats and will lessen it a bit more during winter when she's in the house most of the time.

Wish I had someone to control my diet for me! When I see something chocolate, it's hard to resist.

[supernova]

6. My pets are a healthy weight

lean and strong. They get plenty of exercise, the cats in the yard and the dog gets walked most days. The cats feed freely during the day and get soft food 2x/week. The dog gets high quality food made in the US in amounts right for him and some treats during the day.

We are overweight people, though. But we are solving that with low carb nutrition. I did it back in the early 2000s and it worked well, but got off it. Been seriously low carbing since mid-July and down about 12 lbs so far. There have been some advancements in that school of nutrition about why and how it works since I did it the first time. So now I'm incorporating those findings into my program. It's working well so far. If I keep at it, I'll be at my goal weight by next May.

To get back to the topic, I can totally believe that our chemical cocktail is harming other animals in this way.