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The first known study to
put dogs and people on diet and exercise programs together has shown that people
who try to lose weight along with their dogs did a bit better than people who
tried to lose weight alone.
There were three groups in
the study: 56 individuals, 53 dogs and 36 dogs with owners. The people attended
weekly counseling sessions and were advised to consume no more than 1,400
calories per day and to walk at least 20 minutes per day. Dogs were fed a
prescription diet dog food.
Of course, a dog isn’t for
everyone. If you’re not home for long periods of time on most days and there’s
nobody to take care of your pet, then a dog probably isn’t a good idea for you.
But if you already have a dog and you’re looking for a way to get into a good
healthy routine, frequent walks and a little less food are good ideas for you
and the pooch.
Source:
The North American Association for the Study of
Obesity.
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