ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--People and their pets do almost everything together. They eat together. They sleep together. And too often, they pack on the pounds together. Thanks to the Power of Two program from Jenny Craig® and Purina®, pets and their owners now have a weight loss program designed with six legs in mind.
The Power of Two program joins pets and their owners with weight loss experts: Consultants in Jenny Centers and Purina® Certified Weight Coaches in veterinary clinics. These experts develop customized eating and activity recommendations, supervise regular weigh-ins, and provide ongoing counsel and support.
“Pets are a part of the family, and they share the lifestyle of their owner, including healthy or unhealthy habits,” said Jessica Collins, Area Market Director and Consultant Trainer for Jenny Craig. “With the right tools and support, pets can make the best weight loss partners, as they can help motivate their owners to ditch bad habits and get moving.”
In working together, weight loss experts from Jenny Craig and Purina found that many of the strategies effective in helping people lose weight are also effective in helping pets lose weight. They maintain that the greatest benefit for pets and their owners is the personalized counsel offered by trained veterinary professionals and Jenny Craig Consultants.
“The support of a weight loss buddy can be invaluable, and a four-legged friend fills the role without judgment,” says Purina Certified Weight Coach Heather Prendergast. She adds that exercising with pets can actually help boost both the duration and intensity level. According to researchers in Canada, dog owners walk nearly twice as much as people without dogs,1 and a University of Missouri study determined that walking speed increases 28 percent with a dog.2
While the solution may seem simple, losing weight can be daunting for both pets and their owners. One of the greatest challenges with weight management is making the right decisions about eating and exercise.
- Both pets and owners need specific advice, not just a vague recommendation to lose weight. They need to know what to eat, how much and how often.
- They also need specific recommendations for exercise, based on the owner’s lifestyle and the pet’s health.
- Owners need to be held accountable. That means regular weigh-ins and consultations with a health professional are vital.
- Walk before running. When beginning a new exercise program, set short-term, manageable goals and gradually increase the level of difficulty and duration.
People and pets can take the first step toward reaching a healthy weight together by signing up for the Power of Two program at www.PowerofTwoProgram.com. Among the special offers with sign-up is a choice of a free consultation from Jenny Craig, for up to 90 days (plus the cost of food and shipping if applicable), and a $15 veterinary visit rebate with the purchase of Purina Veterinary Diets® OM Overweight Management® Canine or Feline Formula, available by prescription only.
About Jenny Craig
Jenny Craig’s
program is designed to help you manage your weight by creating a healthy
relationship with food, building a fun, active lifestyle and developing
a balanced approach to living. Our mantra is: Eat Well. Move More. Live
Life.
Our model is like no other weight loss company out there. Jenny provides a weekly personal consultation that is tailored to you. We teach portion control, provide motivational techniques for stressful situations like social gatherings and dining out, and provide fun ways to incorporate daily activity. Jenny’s nutritionists work with food scientists to create more than 80 delicious Jenny’s Cuisine® menu items. Jenny’s program is available in-center and through the at-home program, Jenny Craig At Home for easy access, whenever, wherever!
Jenny Craig, based in Carlsbad, Calif., is one of the world's largest weight management companies, with more than 700 company-owned and franchised centers in the United States, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Jenny Craig is celebrating their 30th birthday in 2013.
About Nestlé Purina
One of the
leading global players in the pet food industry, Nestlé Purina PetCare
produces Purina Veterinary Diets®, nutritional diets
formulated for the dietary management of dogs and cats with certain
health problems. Each diet provides a proper balance of total nutrients
while meeting special dietary needs. They are available exclusively
through veterinarians.
Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestlé Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri. Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A. -- the world's largest food company. For more, visit www.purina.com.
About Heather Prendergast
Heather
Prendergast has spent more than 19 years in small animal practice as a
Certified Veterinary Technician and practice manager. She currently
works at a veterinary practice in Las Cruces, N.M., where she has been a
leader in developing the practice’s weight loss programs. Heather, a
frequent lecturer and author on nutrition and client communication
topics, is a part-time instructor for Patterson Veterinary University,
VetMed Team and St. Petersburg College. She also serves on several
advisory boards, including the Purina® Certified Weight Coach
Advisory Committee. Heather has two Boxers and one Australian Cattle
Dog. She uses her Boxers, Riley and Gunner, to educate clients about the
ideal Body Condition Score of pets, because Boxers are notorious for
being overweight.
About Jessica Collins
Jessica
Collins joined Jenny Craig in 2005 and currently serves as Area Market
Director for the New York City and Connecticut markets, where she
manages and trains her team to help clients achieve their weight loss
goals through the clinically proven program. Originally from Ohio,
Jessica graduated from Kent State University with a B.S. in biology and
minor in marketing. Jessica’s interests in working for Jenny Craig were
piqued by the science behind the program, and by her desire to help
clients, after waging a battle with her own weight. Jessica is a member
of the New York Road Runners club and enjoys early morning runs and
biking around her local parks. A pet lover, her routine includes walking
her neighborhood with her husband and their affectionate 8-year-old
English Bulldog, Watson. Jessica also volunteers for an afterschool
youth program to help elementary school children stay active and out of
trouble through jumping rope.
1 Shane G. Brown, Ryan E. Rhodes. Relationships among dog
ownership and leisure-time walking in Western Canadian adults, Am J
Prev Med. 2006 Feb;30(2):131–136.
2 University of
Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Center for
Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), 2008.
