The percentage of U.S. adults who are obese continued to trend upward in 2014, reaching 27.7%. This is up more than two percentage points since 2008 and is the highest obesity rate Gallup and Healthways have measured in seven years of tracking it. More Americans who were previously overweight have now moved into the obese category, while the percentage who are at normal weight has remained stable since 2013.

The percentage of Americans who are underweight has remained steady at 2.0%.

These results are based on more than 167,000 interviews conducted in 2014 as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Unlike government estimates of obesity, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index uses respondents’ self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and government estimates of obesity are slightly different, as they are calculated using clinical measurements of height and weight as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The latest NHANES results from 2011-2012 reported a 34.9% obesity rate for adults aged 20 or older, not significantly different from data collected since 2003. Another self-reported government survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, says the obesity rate for U.S. adults aged 18 and older was 29.4% in 2013.

via U.S. Obesity Rate Inches Up to 27.7% in 2014.

The obesity epidemic is affecting not only people but their pets as well.

More than half the dogs and cats in the U.S. are at least overweight, and one out of five is obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention.

Just like their human companions, excess weight can bring on a host of health problems for pets. Being overweight can increase risk of osteoarthritis, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory disease, cranial cruciate or anterior knee ligament injury, kidney disease and some cancers. It can decrease an animal’s life expectancy by up to 2.5 years.

Banfield Pet Hospital, which operates more than 850 veterinary facilities across the U.S., found that dog diabetes rose 32 percent between 2006 and 2010, while the number of cats with the disease went up 16 percent during the same time frame.

Senior veterinary surgeon Sean Wensley previously told CBS News one of the biggest issues is that weight problems can affect a pet’s quality of life.

“For cats, you’ll see they’re reluctant to play and they are unable to enjoy life,” he explained.

Without a scale, you can tell if your pet is overweight by looking a few key factors, known as body conditioning scoring. Wensley said if you look from above the animal, you should see where their waist comes in below the rib cage near the pelvis. You should be able to feel their ribs, but not see them. They also shouldn’t have excess abdominal fat if they are a cat or fat near the base of their tail if they are a dog, because this signifies they have a lot of unhealthy fat around their internal organs.

The U.K. organization the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has an annual contest known as the Pet Fit Club to help encourage owners of overweight pets to help them lose some weight. The most recent winner was a Jack Russell terrier named Ruby who slimmed down from 20 pounds to 13.2 pounds.

“This is a fantastic slimming success story – well done Ruby!… The weight loss means she will feel much fitter and happier, and her life expectancy is likely to be longer now than she has shed the excess weight,” PDSA senior veterinary surgeon Elaine Pendlebury said in a press release.

How do you get pets to lose the extra weight? One study suggested that when cats are given small, frequent feedings with the appropriate amount of food to maintain a healthy weight, along with more water to drink, they also start exercising more.

Wensley also suggested that pet owners should cut down on treats and other food outside of meals. Most pet food these days is balanced to include all necessary nutrients, so anything else you give them — whether it comes from the table or from a treat jar — is all extra calories.

“A little piece of cheese for a cat is like giving a human a hamburger,” he said.

via Obesity epidemic affecting millions of pets – CBS News.

How I Lost It: I took baby steps. Being so overweight, it was hard to find the right place to start. I worked with my doctor and nutritionists. I was so heavy I couldn’t really do anything physically active, so they suggested I start journaling my meals. Journaling was eye opening because I had never given any thought to what kind of food I was putting into my body or even how much I was eating. I used MyFitnessPal to help me track my daily food consumption, including my caloric intake for the day. For the first time in my life I was reading nutritional labels. In the first 7 months I was down 50 pounds.

At that point I began to have the courage to join a gym. I chose my local Planet Fitness with the hope that their motto of a “Judgement Free Zone” was true, because I had never worked out and I needed an environment that would be safe and welcoming. I started by walking on the treadmill for three 10-minute intervals at 1.2 miles per hour, six days a week. After three months, I added strength training, which helped further accelerate my weight loss. I really began to see and feel the difference when a fellow Planet Fitness member came up to me and let me know how great I looked. That really energized me to continue on this journey.

I’m now able to breathe and sleep better, and I can do more physical activities than I ever thought. I’ve created a “Fat-Free Bucket List” which includes activities that I’m going to try now that I’ve lost the weight. I started to really jog on the treadmill and have plans of running my first 5K sometime this spring.

My new diet consists of high-protein, low-calorie foods. If I have a snack, I cap it at about 100 to 200 calories, and I make sure to stay away from starches like pasta and breads. When I do get those cravings, I found it helps to keep healthier options on hand. I portion treats into smaller baggies or containers so I don’t mindlessly snack away. I’ve told myself to slow down while I eat, which allows my stomach to feel full and prevent overeating. This took the most practice, as I was always taught to never waste food.

The biggest fear I have is that I will slip, but knowing how good I feel and just remembering how miserable I was three years ago is the motivation that keeps me going every day. My message to anyone looking to lose weight is that you need to have support. This change doesn’t come overnight, and you need to have realistic expectations. There will be hiccups along the way. Take a step beyond your fear, then take another step and then one more. My world has changed and I could not be more excited about the future.

via When Doctors Told John Compton He Was Too Heavy For A Life-Saving Procedure, He Lost More Than 300 Pounds.