Since the early days of anatomical inquiry in ancient Greece to modern day development of medical interventions, humans have relied on small animals as alternative living systems in which we hoped to learn a little bit more about ourselves. The relevance of such animal use has been questioned and these seeds of doubt have grown stronger within the current zeitgeist of open science. This is a discussion many disciplines are grappling with and obesity related research is not immune. In this presentation, Kieron will present an overview of some of the arguments and evidence from the global discussion that question the methodological and ethical use of animals for scientific purposes. Using real world examples, Kieron will also present some of the strategies that have been proposed to address both the low rates of replicability in research that uses animals as well as the poor rates of translational value to human clinical trials. Together we may identify steps that increase the value of the use of animals for scientific purposes in both basic and clinical sciences and enhance animal welfare.