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Important obesity article “Overweight in dogs, but not in cats, is related to overweight in their owners” Published June 23, 2009 - Public Health Nutrition: 13(1), 102-106   PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT.   Permission to post obtained and granted January 1, 2011 by:   Dr. Jacob C. Seidell Institute of Health Sciences VU University of Amsterdam The Netherlands   _________________   Obesity is a significant health risk for humans and their pets (e.g. dogs and cats).  Pet obesity appears to be linked with people (their owners).   Overweight people (and their pet dogs) that live sedentary lives and ingest high calorie foods, have shown a correlated predisposition to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, joint and bone damage, etc.   Innovative One Health interdisciplinary collaborative comparative biomedical research into the differences and similarities between species has shown promise for helping to expedite methods for combating and treating obesity in humans in the U.S. and worldwide.   Over the past 15 years (approximately), biomedical research studies have discovered various proteins produced in body fat called adipokines.  Formerly thought to simply store energy and provide protection to internal organs, it is now known that white adipose tissue (body fat) is highly dynamic and involved in a wide range of complex metabolic and physiologic processes associated with signaling properties from over 50 identified adipokines.  These have functional roles in immunity, appetite and energy balance, insulin sensitivity, angiogenesis, blood pressure, hemostasis and much more.