Book Synopsis

The statistics are in: 65 percent of all Americans (and more than 40 percent of American dogs) are overweight. With Fitness Unleashed, a new book by prominent veterinarian Marty Becker and world-renowned obesity expert Robert Kushner, you will find a program that will turn your dog into your workout buddy, and you'll both lose weight and feel great in the process. Inspired by the groundbreaking Hill's People and Pets Exercising Together (P-PET) study, Dr. Becker and Dr. Kushner teamed up to create a progressive, fun, and effective weight loss program for Fitness Unleashed.

The Hill's P-PET study, the first-ever combined weight management study for people and pets, demonstrated that people and their pets are both more successful in staying with a weight loss program when they exercise together. During the study, both people and dogs lost weight and kept it off: people lost an average of 11 pounds (approximately 5 percent of their initial body weight) and dogs lost an average of 12 pounds (approximately 15.6 percent of their initial body weight).

People really enjoy spending time with their dogs, and the Hill's P-PET study shows that dogs provide the companionship, social support, and motivation to stick with the program until the pounds come off and stay off. With how-to photos, quizzes, safety tips, success stories, and expert advice, Fitness Unleashed offers all the tools readers need to achieve a lifetime of good health—for themselves and for their four-legged workout partners, too!