Sure I'm no cat expert but out of a life time of owning cats and free
feeding, I never had one with a weight problem. I'm sure you are right
about problems developing, however I would tend to think that obesity in
cats is rare. Believe me, I've had some heavy cats but they were not
fat. Maybe I just had good luck. My cats have always averaged eating
about 1 box of dry food a week. That seems reasonable. A box every 2
days, now that would be a problem.

To the person who originally posted this question, if your cat cries for
food like you said, try keeping just a small amount of dry food
available to him for nibbling. It sound like your cat may be spoiled in
his feeding habits. You think kids get spoiled? Try listening to a
siamese cry for food. It sounds an air raid siren with fur.