Japan - 19 Dolphins Have Been Ordered Onto A Diet

Park spokesman Haruo Imazu said: `We were puzzled by their poor performance, then we noticed they looked rounder.`

Nineteen Japanese dolphins have been ordered onto a low fat diet because of their fat bellies.

The dolphins - residents at the Kinosaki Marine World park in Western Japan - were missing jumping targets and failing to keep upright while treading water after developing pot bellies.

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

Workers at the marine park are blaming fatty mackerel for making the dolphins gain up to 22 pounds each over one summer.

The dolphins eat around 31 pounds of mackerel each day mixed with white fish.

Keepers are now substituting most of the mackerel for the leaner fish and have put the dolphins on an exercise regime.