Opinion: American horses are obese, too

Article excerpt

Fifty-one percent of American horses are obese, a rate matching Britain and nearly double Australia's, according to a peer-reviewed study. The statistic mirrors a troubling parallel: the U.S. also leads the G7 in human obesity. Both epidemics point to a deeper dysfunction in how Americans, and the animals in their care, interact with food systems. The horses are not simply eating too much; they are reflecting dietary and agricultural patterns that have made abundance indistinguishable from health.