The Dog Walker's "Diet"
via "Renaissance Poodles" Poodle Rescue of New England Newsletter - Autumn 2006
A new study at the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that having a pet can encourage owners to get more exercise and results in more weight loss than most nationally known diet plans. . . ."The results of the first group were wonderful. . . . By the end of the study, all the participants were walking for longer periods of time and walking for daily errands instead of using some other type of transportation.
"In addition, two of the participants made a trip to the humane society to adopt animals, and several began volunteering to walk the dogs at the shelter. Many of them told us that they didn't necessarily walk in the study because they knew it was good for their health; they enjoyed walking because they knew it was good for the animals."
Read about the study on line at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine website: "Daily Dog Walks Work Off Weight for Owners, MU Researchers Find."