The Importance of Dog Ownership Implications for Long-Term Weight Reduction After Gastric Banding

Gastric banding (GB) is considered an option to support weight loss for individuals who are unable to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. Exercise is an important element of maintaining gradual weight loss following GB. Dog walking may be one method to encourage exercise and contribute to continued weight loss. Over a 5-year period, 24 individuals aged between 31 and 58 years (21 female; 12 dog-owners) were weighed at 7 time points. Intention to treat MANOVA analysis showed both groups lost a significant amount of weight, F(6, 17) = 15.7, P = .001, ηp2 = .85, but no difference was observed between dog owners and non–dog owners, F(6, 17) = 0.66, P = .68, ηp2 = .19, although from 24 months postbanding, data indicated dog owners appear to weigh less than non–dog owners. Further longitudinal research is warranted beyond 5 year post-GB; and encouraging exercise through dog walking may be a useful adjunct to increasing activity and promoting weight loss following GB.