The Biggest Loser star Alison Sweeney’s pooch was too fat

Alison Sweeney (34) has built a successful career out of guiding others on the path to good healt, as the host of NBC’s hit reality series “The Biggest Loser” and the author of last year’s weight loss and wellness book “The Mommy Diet.”

However, it turns out that there was one important member of the family Sweeney had nutritionally neglected. Her Boston Terrier, Winky!

“We rescued Winky a couple of years ago, she’s a big part of our family, but last year the vet shared with me in a really stern voice that we had allowed Winky to become a couple of pounds overweight and that’s a big deal on a 20-pound dog,” Sweeney told FOX411’s Pop Tarts. “I was shocked and really upset… just like people it affects how they feel about their body and their energy levels.”

According the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s 2009 Pet Obesity Study, an estimated 35 million dogs and 54 million cats in the US are overweight or obese. And Sweeney is right; a couple of pounds can cause mammoth health concerns. Apparently two extra pounds on a small size dog like a Chihuahua is the equivalent of nearly 60 pounds on an average woman, and two surplus pounds on a small size cat such a Siamese equates to almost 25 pounds on an average woman.

“A lot of people in America totally overlook their pets, they share their table food when demonstrating their love, but it is important for people not to look at it that way,” Sweeney continued. “Keeping your pet healthy is a very big responsibility as a pet owner.”

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