During the segment, Moraninterviewed a veterinarian who pointed out that you should see a“waist” when you look down at your dog and at least a couple of ribs. Iglanced at my pit bull terrier, Jasmine Blue, who was sprawled outsnoring at the foot of the bed, and I began to feel nervous. No waist;no ribs. 
   

The Nightline episode wasn’t the first encounter I’d hadwith Jasmine’s weight. A dog walker at Corona Heights Park approachedher a few months ago and sneered, “Jazzy’s looking a little plump. Areyou giving her too many treats?” She then pointed out that, in thewild, animals don’t allow themselves to get fat. It is, in fact, wehumans who are to blame. That means me.
   

At PetFood Express on Market Street, I asked Jessica, one ofthe clerks, if bully sticks were fattening. “No,” she said, “they’reactually pretty low in fat.”
   

I began checking the labels of the canned food and kibblethat I feed Jazz and noted they were high in protein and low in carbsand fat. All good. “What about raw bones?” I asked. “The marrowboneshave some fat in them,” Jessica said, “so don’t give them to her morethan three times per week.”
   

Aha! I had been giving Jasmine marrowbones five times per week. I guess everything in moderation applies to dogs, too.
   

As I left the store, I asked Jessica if she thought Jasmineshould lose some weight. She wrinkled her nose, glancing at the huge“My Mutt” poster of Jazz that hangs in the store. “Maybe a couple ofpounds.”
   

That night we skipped the marrowbone.
   

I adopted Jasmine when she was five months old and weighed30 pounds. Between the summer of 2006 and now, she has doubled in size– she’s taller, broader and, at her last appointment with Dr. Wong atBlue Cross Pet Hospital, she weighed in at a solid 60 pounds. Dr. Wongdidn’t seem concerned. “Pit bulls are big, muscular dogs and she’sstill growing, so there’s a little baby fat.” Baby fat. Good news.
   

When the rainy season hit, I took Jasmine to Babies on GoughStreet to buy her a raincoat. We found a cute pink number and the shopowner bent down to wrap the Velcro straps around her. “She’s so sweetand patient!” she said, but she was down there far too long. “What’sthe matter?” I asked nervously. “Well, this is an XL,” she grunted,“and it’s too small.”
   

I felt the insecurities bubbling up. “What are you saying?”I asked as she stood up, raincoat still in hand. “Are you sayingJasmine is fat?” My friend Elisa, perusing the fancy collars, pretendedshe didn’t know me.

“No. This line is made with smaller dogs in mind,” the shop owner explained, “and Jasmine has a really deep chest.”   

During the entire shopping excursion, Jasmine smiled, wagged her butt,and picked out toys, unfazed and unaware that her ribs and waist werenonexistent. She was the picture of innocence and contentment, and Iwondered how much better off people would be if we didn’t understandwhat was said about us.
   

On the walk home, dressed in a black hoodie with a skull ina pink bow on the back, passersby commented on how adorable she was andhow beautiful her blue eyes were, and Jazzy soaked it all in as usual,head held high, butt wagging. I realize that being overweight isphysically as bad for dogs as it is for humans, but it fortunatelydoesn’t take the emotional toll.
   

As for Jasmine Blue, she is still a growing puppy, and shegets plenty of exercise – she goes out in a playgroup every day, and wego to the beach on the weekends as often as possible for long romps. Idid cut back her food and her treats a bit, and in just a few monthsshe’s dropped a couple of pounds.
    

With the holidays in full gear, I began to wonder ifAmerica’s obsession with weight has trickled down to our pets. I know Ineed to get back in shape this year – a bout with pneumonia and acracked rib knocked me off-track with my trainer, J.T. I had beenkickboxing, weight lifting and running nearly every day – I was ingreat shape and I felt great, too. But in the year since I was sick,I’ve put the “I’m a food critic” extra pounds back on – definitely noribs, and very little waist. The good news is that J.T. and I arestarting up again in February, and I have a dog who loves to go forwalks. If Jazzy can lose a few extra pounds, so can I.

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