Obesity Halts Marine Showbiz Performers

Obesity has sidelined one of Earth's most athletic and intelligent performers.

Dolphins at a marine park in Japan have developed pot bellies and been put on a diet after failing to hit jumping targets. Their zookeepers were confused by their apparent sluggishness and noticed they were having problems keeping upright while treading water last month.

Staff at the Kinosaki Marine World in western Japan became concerned when they noticed the performances of the plumper dolphins were beginning to suffer. According to staff, audiences had noticed that the dolphins were failing to jump into the air as high as before. The dolphins were weighed and keepers realized that all 19 of them had become heavier over the summer. Some had put on over 22 pounds in the span of a few months.

The keepers were puzzled by the weight gain, since their daily food regimen had not changed. After much deliberation, they discovered that the mackerel the dolphins had been eating had become fattier. The added calories proved to be too much for the active mammals, causing their weight fluctuation.

Keepers immediately put them on a weight loss program, including a new exercise program, feeding them more white fish and less of the fatty mackerels. As of late September, the less fat and moderate exercise seemed to be working.

Fortunately, my weight-loss progress is not quite so public as theirs.

Should the diet of animals in captivity be more closely monitored? Are you jealous of their speedy progress? (I am) Let us know in the comments! And make sure to check out Friday Flix: Dolphin Takeover Edition .

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