Fat Dolphins Put On Diet At Japanese Park

Poor Performances At Water Shows Prompt Caretakers To Cut Fats On Menu

(AP)  Dolphins at a Japanese marine park are going on a low-fat diet after developing pot bellies and failing to look sharp in their aquatic performances.

Kinosaki Marine World in western Japan said Tuesday that all its 19 dolphins have been on a low-fat diet since late August, when they started failing to hit jumping targets and keep upright while treading water.

"We were puzzled by their poor performance, then we noticed they looked rounder," said park spokesman Haruo Imazu.

Keepers measured their weight and found all had gotten plumper, some up to 22 pounds heavier just during the summer.

All had the same menu - about 31 pounds of mackerel mixed with some white fish - but keepers found the mackerels had gotten fattier, adding too many calories for the dolphins.

Keepers immediately put them on a weight loss program, feeding them more white fish and less fatty mackerels, while instituting a routine exercise regime, Imazu said.

Less fat and moderate exercise seemed to be working, he said.

[myopinion1]

Well with all the McDonalds springing up over there, maybe they are sneaking out late at night. Or, maybe they are aspiring Americans?

[pirmin3]

I thought they became sushi over there.

[incog-nito]

The same diet reportedly will be available to the American public soon, complete with books, CDs, and training videos.

[easeup-2009]

The fat won''t help the Dolphins this year--I predict maybe a 4-12 season.

[ibzjem]

I''d like to see us Americans jump through the hoops. That is, if the diet works.

[aerodog]

a fat dolphin?? well that''s a new one.

[mahdeealoo]

I guess if you were confined to a small area (or sat at a desk or computer all day), ate the same things all year round, and were not exercising, you would get fat too. Hmmmmm, sound familiar?

[inketolstoy]

Forget about the fat dolphins, let us save the fat mackerel. I propose that the government give me 25 billion dollars to study fat mackerel and come up with a hair brained scheme to slim them down and save dolphins, sharks, tuna and mackerel from high blood pressure and poor hoop jumping. I could be the Dr. Atkins of Sea World.

[samthetvcat]

---"All had the same menu - about 31 pounds of mackerel mixed with some white fish - but keepers found the mackerels had gotten fattier, adding too many calories for the dolphins."---

ROTFL They''re just like people - they need the ''low-fat'' version :)

[superdem]

Better to be on a diet than on the menu ! IRON CHEF - Chairman Kaga says the secret ingredient is....(drum roll)...DOLPHIN !!

[truthislife1]

I''m trying to cut down the fat intake on spiders in my house but they keep getting bigger, ***.