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LincolnStein, Flickr As Americans struggle to keep our waistlines in check, it's no real surprise that our unhealthy lifestyles have been weighing down our pets as well. In fact, a new study has found that American dogs and cats are facing an obesity epidemic much like our own! According to a study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, more than half of U.S. pets are now considered overweight or worse. A full 20 percent of dogs and 20 percent of cats are now considered obese, meaning they're 30 percent above their normal weights, the Wall Street Journal reports. But veterinarians and owners are tackling this problem with new diets, pet weight management software and ...

"This scale must be broken. I can't weigh this much!" Photo courtesy of Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Is your pet a little chunky? That could be a problem, and it's not about vanity. Overweight and obese dogs and cats are more vulnerable to developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, skin problems, and arthritis and other joint problems. Who knew that sharing scrumptious bits of cheese and cookie with your pet could actually be hurting her in the long run? Here are some startling factoids: Feeding a dachshund just one ounce of cheddar cheese is equivalent to an average woman eating two and a half hamburgers. Letting your cat have just a single potato chip is the same as ...