Diets go the dogs (and cats) to fight fat

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
With an obesity epidemic raising health issues in the news, almost everyone is on some kind of diet these days. Ditto for Fido and Herman.
Move over Atkins and South Beach. The Wall Street Journal reports that diets for pets are big business.
Fat cats and dogs hit the headlines earlier this fall when the government's National Research Council issued a report on pet nutrition with the word that "one in four cats and dogs is overweight." The pet industry is pushing hard to take advantage of growing numbers of concerned owners.
Exercise videos (www.dogscandance.com), faddy diets including a Canine Zone developed by diet guru Barry Sears, and even treadmills ($1,095 at www.jogadog.com) are moving into the market with some success. Sales of Zone for Dogs are growing 25 percent a month, The Journal says. Iams, the pet food company, reports an increase of 60 percent to $160 million in diet formula in three years.
Critics say that pet diets don't work much better than human plans. Pets cheat, too. And the diets punish animals for something that is mostly the owners' fault. And as with humans, vets worry that quick fixes can be unhealthy.
Also, it's tough for animals to stick with a program. Some go on hunger strikes, steal food off the counter or eat garbage. Just like people.