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.

"We are proud to collaborate with Hill’s as we work together to advance research on understanding pet obesity bias and promoting evidence-based treatments for obesity," said Dr. Ernie Ward, Founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. "Hill’s has been a leader in advancing pet health through innovative nutrition and research, and their commitment to addressing the complex communication challenges of pet obesity is truly commendable."

In this article, veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward explains why 'clinical obesity' is more than just a term—it's a critical tool for enhancing outcomes in our fight against pet obesity

An “obesity first” strategy should be implemented for animals suffering from chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, insulin resistance, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, hypertension, and more. In simplest terms, “obesity first” means we treat obesity as a priority when confronting these obesity-associated disorders. By losing excess body fat and increasing lean muscle mass, nearly all of these chronic diseases can improve, and some may even experience remission.