New JAVMA Article Proposes a 2-Step Framework to Diagnose Clinical Obesity in Dogs and Cats
Peer-reviewed article separates how much body fat a pet carries from whether that fat is causing harm.
LELAND, NC – October 16, 2026 – The World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) today announced that the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) has published a new Viewpoint. The article proposes a 2-step framework that separates the classification of adiposity from the diagnosis of clinical obesity in dogs and cats.¹ It was released online early during World Pet Obesity Month.
To read the full publication in JAVMA, visit: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.06.0499
Body condition scoring is the standard way veterinary teams assess body fat. A body condition score shows how much fat a pet carries, but not whether that fat is harming the pet’s health. The framework adapts the 2025 Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission on Clinical Obesity for companion animals.² It builds on the authors’ 2025 Veterinary Record proposal for new definitions of clinical obesity in companion animals.³
The framework sets out:
Step 1: Classify adiposity. Veterinary teams use a validated 9-point body condition score to identify pets that are overweight (BCS 6–7/9) or obese (BCS 8–9/9).¹
Step 2: Assess with the Three A’s: Clinical obesity is diagnosed only when three criteria are all present:¹
obesity-range Adiposity
a documented, clinically meaningful Abnormality
supported Attribution of that abnormality to excess adiposity
Preclinical obesity as a risk stage: Pets with obesity-range adiposity but no adiposity-related abnormality, after appropriate assessment, have preclinical obesity. This is a stage of risk, not the disease itself.¹
A path for unresolved cases: When the assessment is incomplete, or attribution is unresolved, the case is flagged for further workup rather than labeled.¹
Obesity medications and therapeutic weight-loss options are moving toward veterinary practice. The framework gives veterinary teams a consistent way to tell which pets have a disease and which are at risk. Clinical obesity calls for obesity-first, not obesity-only, care.
To read the full publication in JAVMA, visit: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.06.0499
The article was written by Ernie Ward, DVM, founder of the World Pet Obesity Association and the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and Julie A. Churchill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition), University of Minnesota. Full disclosures are available in the published article.
About the 2-Step Clinical Obesity Framework
The 2-step framework first classifies a pet’s adiposity using body condition scoring. It then uses the Three A’s (Adiposity, Abnormality, Attribution) to determine whether clinical obesity is present. Supporting tools are available at worldpetobesity.org:
body and muscle condition score charts in multiple languages
calorie calculators
the 2026 Pet Obesity Communication Guidelines
About the World Pet Obesity Association
The World Pet Obesity Association (WPOA) is a global organization dedicated exclusively to clinical obesity in companion animals. Founded in 2023, WPOA builds on nearly two decades of pet obesity prevalence research by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP). It advances standards, education, research and clinical tools that help veterinary teams recognize, diagnose, treat and monitor clinical obesity in dogs and cats. For more information, visit worldpetobesity.org.
Media Inquiries:
Laura Ward
World Pet Obesity Association
info@worldpetobesity.org
References
Ward E, Churchill JA. Should veterinarians apply a 2-step framework to classify adiposity and diagnose clinical obesity in dogs and cats? J Am Vet Med Assoc. Published online October 2026. doi:10.2460/javma.26.06.0499
Rubino F, Cummings DE, Eckel RH, et al. Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025;13(3):221-262. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00316-4
German AJ, Woods G, Ward E, Churchill J. We should adopt new definitions for clinical obesity in companion animals. Vet Rec. 2025;196(5):197-198. doi:10.1002/vetr.5300
