Obesity in pets mirrors that of humans, as do the reasons — decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake, even genetic predisposition. Like humans, there are also many health problems associated with being obese, such as diabetes mellitus. It’s no secret that obesity is a problem in humans. Reality television makes millions of dollars chronicling the efforts of Americans attempting to shed excess weight. And every day, new medical research highlights the serious implications obesity has for heart disease, diabetes and other maladies. Now, more and more attention is being paid to the problem in our pets. The prevalence of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 percent.