The obesity epidemic is a growing problem with man’s best friend. So the company that brought us Juicy Juice, Boost and PowerBar is targeting our pets with a new weight loss program.
Swiss food giant Nestlé recently launched a new weight loss program to help pets get in shape with their owners. Project: Pet Slimdown is an online tool created by the Purina dog food brand by Nestlé and the weight loss program Jenny Craig. The website offers tips on feeding pets and exercise routines for animals and their owners including ab exercises for dogs.
“The obesity epidemic is not limited to people,” Lisa Talamini, vice president of research and program innovation at Jenny Craig said in a statement: “Two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and more than half of all pets in the country are also battling the bulge.”
The Purina brand offers a special range of products to manage weight in pets and the new website could increase sales.
Wall Street Journal reports:
“Canine overweight-management diets make up around a quarter of Nestlé’s U.S. dog food sales, which amounted to $512 million in 2010. Around 17 percent of Nestlé’s $317 million cat food sales are generated by people keen to put their cats on diets, according to research by market research company Audits & Surveys.”
Pets make ideal weight-loss partners to humans because they are supportive and non-judgmental. And the idea to tie weight loss programs for humans with weight loss food for pets means animals, their owners, Nestlé and Jenny Craig might all profit.
[via WSJ blog]
Photo: Purina
