Nurse-led obesity clinics: facilitating weight loss in dogs and cats

Obesity in dogs and cats is defined as when the bodyweight exceeds the ideal bodyweight by at least 15%, (Laflamme, 2001), although some texts define obesity as 20% greater than the ideal bodyweight (Toll et al, 2010), and others at 30% above ideal bodyweight (Burkholder and Toll, 2000). The incidence of human obesity has increased 400% over the last 25 years (HMSO, 2004), and many studies have been conducted into factors affecting obesity, success rates in weight reduction programmes, and prevalence in order to aid in the reduction of obesity prevalence, and to aid the individual in reduction of mortality and morbidity rates (Figure 1.). Few studies have been conducted into the success of facilitating weight loss, and in particular veterinary nurse-led clinics (Figure 2.) (Anderson et al, 2001), although individual factors have been identified and studied. Human obesity studies have proved that an established education and support programme dramatically improves success rates of weight reduction.