2024 Survey Reveals Shifts in Pet Obesity Awareness—and Where We Still Fall Short - Press Release
LELAND, NC – April 2025 — The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) has released its 2024 Pet Obesity & Nutrition Opinion Survey results, revealing evolving pet owner awareness and ongoing communication challenges around pet obesity. The survey, which includes responses from over 580 participants, offers a critical pulse on how U.S. pet owners perceive and manage their pets’ body conditions.
Key findings show that more owners recognize unhealthy body conditions associated with excess weight in their pets, yet awareness of clinical tools like the Body Condition Score (BCS) remains low. Only 45% of dog owners and 40% of cat owners reported familiarity with BCS, and fewer than 30% recalled receiving a BCS score from their veterinarian.
“Veterinary teams have a unique opportunity to lead the conversation about pet obesity with clarity and compassion,” said Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of APOP. “By using respectful and precise medical language, we can support better lifelong health for pets. More importantly, we can close the gap between how owners see their pet’s body condition and the medical reality of obesity. This perception gap is often widened by limited awareness of tools like Body Condition Scoring and the use of vague, non-clinical terms like ‘chonky’ and ‘chubby’ that downplay obesity’s serious health risks.”
While 69% of pet owners said they felt comfortable discussing their pet’s weight and body condition with their vet, only 60% of veterinary professionals stated they always feel at ease initiating those conversations. Owners commonly recalled euphemistic language such as “fluffy” or “chunky,” revealing a disconnect between clinical intent and owner understanding.
Pet owners are interested in treating pet obesity. Over 60% of dog owners and 53% of cat owners reported attempts to help their pets lose weight, and one-third said they would consider a prescription weight-loss medication for a pet with obesity if it was safe, effective, and affordable.
In 2024, 35% of dog owners and 33% of cat owners reported their pets were overweight or had obesity—an increase from 17% of dog owners and 28% of cat owners in 2023. APOP urges veterinary professionals to use clear, medically accurate language and provide personalized, evidence-based treatment plans. With better communication and stronger collaboration between veterinarians and pet owners, we can turn awareness into meaningful action and improve pet health outcomes.
About APOP
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the science of pet obesity through research, education, and advocacy. APOP promotes evidence-based strategies for preventing and treating pet obesity to protect animal health and preserve the human-animal bond.