Obesity Prevention and Management

__________ is the most common nutritional disorder

obesity

Overweight BCS

6-7/9

Obese BCS

8-9/9

Negative consequences of obesity

-source of inflammatory cytokines

-skin disorders

-respiratory compromise

-longevity

Obesity leads towards an increased risk of:

-diabetes mellitus

-orthopedic disease

-neoplasia

The key to management of obesity is __________

prevention!

Key to preventing obesity:

start talking about BCS and body weight at every visit, starting at first puppy/kitten wellness visist

Four things to discuss during a nutritional assessment every time:

1.) body weight

2.) body condition score (BCS)

3.) muscle condition score (MCS)

4.) diet history

Four things to do if young animal gains too much weight:

1.) switch to lower calorie diet

2.) reduce or eliminate other calorie sources

3.) increase caloric expenditure

4.) maintain intake until animal "grows through it"

When switching to a lower calorie diet for young animals, it is importnant that it is still...

used for growth; do NOT switch growing animals to adult maintenance diet prior to skeletal maturity (especially large/giant breeds)

Two things to prevent osteoarthritis in large breed dogs:

1.) don't give too much calcium

2.) don't switch to adult maintenance diet prior to skeletal maturity

Three steps to assess animal for obesity:

1.) assess body weight, BCS, and MCS

2.) determine an ideal body weight and BCS

3.) assess the diet

How to estimate a dog's ideal body weight from the curreht BCS?

-use current BCS (such as 8/9)

-for each BCS ranking, reduce 10% of dog's current body weight

Ex:

-current weight is 68 lbs and BCS of 8/9

-want to get them down to BCS of 5/9, so three points on the scale, and therefore 30% reduction of their currnet body weight

-ideal body weight = 68 x .30= 20.4lbs

68-20.4lbs=47.6 lb

A complete diet history includes:

-primary diet (brand and flavor)

-treats

-table foods

-medication administration

-supplements

Definition of a treat

all calories that are not providing complete and balanced nutrition

True or false: supplements are condsidered treats

true!

Components of a weight loss plan:

-calculate starting calorie goal

-choose primary diet

-discuss treat allowance

-consider owner and pet preferences

Two steps to determine daily caloric intake:

1.) calculate RER for estimated ideal body weight

2.) reduce current intake by a certain percent (based on accurate estimation of starting intake)

Equation for calculating RER

RER = 70 X BW kg ^.75

Factors of choosing a diet for weight loss:

-veterinary theraputic or over the counter?

-depends on animal's starting intake, degree of obesity, and owner preference

Best diet for weight loss has a __________ calorie count but is ___________ in nutrients

low; high

Why can't you just feed less food per day to help an animal lose weight?

you risk nutritional deficiencies; need to find a food that has a lower caloric density but still meets pet's nutritional needs

Three labels for pet foods that legally mean they are for weight loss:

1.) light

2.) lite

3.) low calorie

Examples of labels for pet foods that are not legally for weight loss:

-weight management

-healthy weight

A dog food is considered low calorie density when is has less than _____ calories per gram

3.1 cal/g (3,100 kcal/kg)

A cat food is considered low calorie density when is has less than _____ calories per gram

3.25 cal/g (3,250cal/kg)

Most important macronutrient during weight loss is ___________. Why?

protein; so as they lose fat they are maintaining muscle

One should aim for ___________ protein intake when caloric restriction exceeds 80% RER for IBW

higher

Fat is _________ calorically dense than protein

more

Reducing fat may or may not reduce caloric concentration?

may

True or false: Not all low fat diets are low in calories

true

Do low carbohydrate diets aid in weight loss?

not necessarily; most important to reduce caloric intake

Diets high in __________ fiber can lead towards weight loss

insoluble

Diets high in insolulbe fiber can increase ________________

satiety (fullness)

*allows animal to eat a greater volume of food for less calories

Food should be measured on a _________ per day basis

grams

___-___% of an overweight animal's total daily intake should come from a weight loss diet

90-95%

Treat allowance should be less than _____% of total daily intake

10%

What do treats include?

-commercial treats

-table foods

-dental chews

-foods for medication administration

-supplements

Exercise and weight management

every little bit helps and helps pets feel more comfortable and gain/maintain muscle, but reducing caloric intake is important in weight loss

Tools for weight loss through exercise

-food dispensing toys and puzzles

-hide food around house for cats to encourage "foraging"

How often should weight be rechecked?

every 1-2 weeks (especially early on)

Ideally an animal should lose ___-__% of their body weight per week

1-2%

For an animal eating a lower protein diet, ideally they should lose ___-__% of their body weight per week

0.5-1%

If weight loss plateaus, intake should be reduced by ___-___%

3-5%

After an animal reaches its goal weight there are two options:

1.) continue diet fed during weight loss, but increase intake by 5%

2.) transition to OTC maintenance diet

Examples of tools to use when there is one fat animal and one healthy weight animal in a house

-create physcial barriers (like closing doors)

-collar activated cat feeders

Obesity paradox

Overweight or obesity can predispose to disease

Animals with chronic illnesses ________ _______ be put on extreme weight loss plans

should not