Pets and Pounds: Not All That Different from Humans!

I'm an integrative nutrition and holistic wellness coach. I'm also a speaker, writer/book author and avid animal lover.

As a nutrition/wellness coach, one of my specialties is getting people off that diet roller coaster--you know, the yo-yo dieting that's responsible for everything from spending extra money on wardrobes in different sizes to accommodate those weight fluctuations, to lack of energy, high stress, decreased immune system and more.

The obesity problem is far and wide; both our kids and pets are experiencing that, plus lifestyle-based diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  In a segment on Letterman a few years back, Dr. Oz said he was performing quadruple bypass on 25-year-olds!. 

 And pets-- 54 percent of all dogs and cats in the U.S. are now classified as overweight or obese!

Many of my writing assignments have been on the topics of nutrition and holistic wellness--for humans but, more and more, for pets. You see, pet nutrition is a big industry--and the pet industry as a whole is over $51 billion.

In my travels as a writer, I've interviewed countless veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists and other pet experts--and you know what I've found? Animals aren't really all that different from humans! Their nutrition can be as complex as ours--commercial foods, premium brands, home-made meals, raw food or BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diets. Just like us, each one responds differently to foods; just because your neighbor's dog is thriving on a food doesn't mean yours will.

I've also discovered that pets suffer from many of the same lifestyle-based diseases that we do, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Their obesity rate is through the roof; right now, 54 percent of all cats and dogs are classified as overweight or obese by the veterinarian. Just three years ago that figure was 40 percent--still too high--but it also shows how fast it's rising. In fact, according to Healthy Pets at Mercola.Com, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VIP), Americans paid $25 million in 2010 in veterinary bills for obesity-related problems, such as asthma, disc diseases and ligament ruptures.

Pets also get arthritis, cancer, the common cold, sometimes even flu, chronic stress and sleep deprivation and more.

Baxter was a member of the family!  I looked after his weight and  overall health as much as I would anyone.

So it only made sense to me to combine them into a program I call "Transforming People and Pets."  I'll transform you both into vibrant, happy, healthy beings--no more unstable weight gain, no more yo-yo dieting! No humorless, rigid and deprivation-based programs.

Of course, if you also have kids (the 2-legged variety!), I'll include them in the program if you wish.

It'll sort of be like one of those reality weight-loss, transformation shows-- only with both humans and non-humans.

Want more information about this?  See: http://www.irenefross.com/transforming-people-and-pets.  And be sure to pass it on to your customers/clients/patients!

ABOUT IRENE

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP, is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer/book author. She helps both humans and their non-human children alter unhealthy habits so they live lives of health, happiness and vibrancy--and, in the case of humans, so they can balance their lives.

Author of the e-book, Sugar's Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is:  www.irenefross.com.