(BPT) - Lives. Homes. Furniture. Even beds. People share a lot when a dog or cat is part of the family. Unfortunately, one trait that far too many owners and pets have in common is excess weight. In fact, two-thirds of U.S. adults and 55 percent of U.S. pets are considered overweight, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010, and the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 2012 Pet Obesity Study.
The silver lining is that while many pets and their owners are tipping the scales, losing weight is something they can do together, as people and pets make great weight loss partners for reasons both scientific and psychological.
For the second year in a row, Jenny Craig and Purina are pooling their resources to create a customized offering to help people and their pets lose weight together.
“Support while losing weight is invaluable,” says Jessica Collins, Area Market Director and spokesperson for Jenny Craig. “And a four-legged weight loss buddy can be the perfect partner, as they won’t judge and will provide great motivation to keep active by walking."
“Pets love exercising with their owners and can even help boost their owners’ time and intensity level,” said Purina Certified Weight Coach Heather Prendergast. According to Canadian researchers, dog owners walk nearly twice as much as people without dogs, while a University of Missouri study determined that walking speed increases 28 percent with a dog.
Collins and Prendergast offer the following tips for people and pets during weight loss:
* Walk before you run. If you and your pet are new to an exercise program, set short-term, manageable goals and gradually increase the level of difficulty and duration as the two of you work together toward your activity goals.  Jenny Craig offers free walking plans here: http://www.jennycraig.com/heart-walk
* Play together. Dogs love to play fetch. Throw the ball and do lunges or squats while your dog runs to fetch - or race to get the ball first. Cats love chasing toys, too, and can even be taught to retrieve.
* Connect mealtime with exercise. Before breakfast or dinner, squeeze in a short walk. Teach your dog to earn his treat by performing a trick first. Have your cat hunt for their food by hiding kibble in different places around the house.
* Embrace snacking. Snacks for people and treats for pets can be built into a healthy meal plan, and can serve as protection against binge eating. Frequent small meals can also boost metabolism and keep hunger away.
* Drink up. Don’t forget to always hydrate, before and after exercise and throughout the day. Sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger, so make sure you and your pets always have a full water bowl.
* Get a checkup. Consult with your physician - and veterinarian - before beginning a weight loss, diet or exercise program.
The Power of Two program created by Jenny Craig and Purina includes additional healthy lifestyle tips for pets and owners, rebates for veterinary services, free counseling from Jenny Craig and other offers for participants. To enroll in the Power of Two program or learn more, visit PowerOfTwoProgram.com.

(BPT) - Gesundheit! If allergy season has you sneezing and sniffling, you might believe you’re better protected inside your house than outside in the fresh air. Think again. In a typical six-room house, everyday living creates up to 40 pounds of dust every year, according to NADCA: The HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association. What’s more, your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system pulls in a sizeable amount of contaminants, and may re-circulate those irritants five to seven times a day.
Your heating and cooling system can be considered the heart and lungs of your home, taking in air and breathing it out. Generally, the cleaner the lungs, the cleaner the air in your home – and the fewer allergy triggers circulating in the air. While dirty ducts don’t necessarily mean unhealthy air in your home, they may be contributing to larger health issues or harboring contaminants that could cause serious problems for people with respiratory health conditions or some environmental allergies. That’s why it’s important to get a quality HVAC cleaning done on a regular basis.
Having your HVAC system cleaned by a professional could actually save you money in the long run. That’s because contaminants in your home’s heating and cooling system cause it to work harder and shorten the life of your system. Even though you use filters, the HVAC system still gets dirty through normal use. When the system is clean, however, it doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain the temperature you want, and will use less energy – saving you money.
Once you’ve decided to have your HVAC system cleaned, how do you choose a professional? NADCA urges you to resist those fliers you might get from fly-by-night companies. Firms offering “$99 whole house specials” and similar gimmicks may do work that’s not up to industry standards or try to squeeze more money from you by using scare tactics. Here are other suggestions from NADCA:
* Look for a company that’s certified by NADCA to perform HVAC system cleaning and is a member in good standing of NADCA. The organization has a list of member companies; visit www.nadca.com. NADCA members carry general liability insurance, have at least one person on staff trained and certified as an Air Systems Cleaning Specialist, and clean and restore heating and cooling systems following the organization’s guidelines.
* Ask at least two contractors to inspect your system and give you time estimates for their work. This will give you a general idea of how long the job should take.
* Not every house needs an HVAC cleaning. A quality company will do a visual inspection first and recommend a complete cleaning only if necessary. The professional should be able to point out debris buildup that is visible to the human eye, such as by removing a floor register and taking a picture with a digital camera.
* Has the company been in business long enough to have adequate experience? Ask if the company has done work in homes similar to yours. Get and check references.
* Ask for proof that the company is properly licensed and adequately insured.
* The company may use one of two main types of vacuum collection systems – either one mounted on a truck or a portable unit. All vacuum units should be attached to collection devices for safe containment prior to disposal. Any device that exhausts indoors must be HEPA filtered.
* A vacuum collection device alone won’t get your HVAC system clean. The professional should also use tools designed to actually clean debris off the components, such as brushes.
* Run through a checklist of what needs to be done with the professional before and after the job, to ensure it’s done properly. You can find a thorough checklist at www.nadca.com.
Keeping allergies at bay can be a multi-faceted job. But having clean air ducts in your home will go a long way toward everyone breathing more easily.