Excessive Hair Loss

Question
I have a 4 year old neutered male cat. He has always shed a lot, but I never thought anything of it. I never noticed because I had two cats and the amount of hair that was shed seemed normal.
It wasn't until I moved into my new place and began brushing him every day on a regular basis. The amount of hair that is shed from my cat seems tremendous. It seems like I can brush him and brush him but the hair that comes out never stops. I cant even pet him without handfuls of hair falling off into my hands.
To rule out some possibilities here are his symptoms; He has no bald patches on his body, nor does he have any fleas or mites. He has been an indoor cat his whole life and has been very healthy (aside from being a spoiled, a little overweight). He does not lick himself excessively nor does he seem to have any of the symptoms that I have read about online.
I simply want to know if you can think of anything that may be causing this shedding, or if I am simply a concerned mother. I would like to hear your response before I take him to the vet and they look at me like I am crazy.
Thank you,
A concerned mother
Juliet

Answer
Shedding can be a sign of a poor diet.  Any kind of food like 9 lives, Purina, Iams, Science Diet, and such are poor quality foods and can result in shedding.  Instead, try switching to Nutro, Innova, Wellness, and like brands.  This will dramatically decrease the amount of fur that the cat is shedding.