First they called Tyra fat. Then they called the cast of "Gossip Girl" curvy. But now the absurd preoccupation with thinness has reached the animal kingdom.Nineteen dolphins at a Japanese marine park were put on a low-fat diet when their daily performances reportedly suffered due to weight gain. The plump porpoises reportedly added about 22 pounds of girth over the summer and have since "started failing to hit jumping targets and keep upright while treading water."
The suspected culprit? Fatty mackerel.
According to the park spokesman, the trainers have put the dolphins on an exercise regimen and started them on a modified diet featuring low-cal treats like whitefish. So far, it seems to be working.
Check out more ludicrously cute, squeezably tubby animals in our gallery below (and click here to send us pictures of your own fat cats and doughy dogs). Warning: You may squeal aloud.
Obeasts
Xu Jirong holds his fat cat at home in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.
Xu's nine-year-old pet weighs 15 kilograms and that its waist measures around 77 centimeters.
This cat's more than a little bit of a couch potato.
Flickr
This big guy's name is Hercules. He got stuck in his neighbor's pet door while trying to steal some dog food and had to be rescued by the Humane Society.
AP
Is it just us, or does that dog look scared?
AP
"Stop standing next to me, you're making me look fat."
Getty Images
This labrador--named Chubby Charlie--was forced to go on a crash diet after ballooning to 168 pounds.
AP
This big boy is a little down in the dumps. Perhaps it's the high carb diet?
Flickr
These fat monkeys live in a tiny enclosure in a Japanese park. Around 30 percent of the monkeys that live in the park are overweight due to overfeeding by visitors.
AP
There's fat pigs, and then there's fat pigs.
AP

Comments:
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Wednesday 01 October
By KAH
If these people thinkits cute to have such obese animals they won't be laughing when they can no longer walk, are racked with pain and die at an early age. Thats just cruel.
Reply
Wednesday 08 October
By frypunk
I would like to see Richard Gere Keaster that badboy!!!
Sunday 05 October
By chrystal
maybe they think these animal are cute..... but do they know they are killing them by over feeding them! come on how stupid can the owners be! why would you want to abuse animial like this! if you have problems with your own weight...............deal with it don't torture your pets!!!
Wednesday 01 October
By brad
see, dolphins aren't so smart after all. Hey fat dolphin, put downthe twinkies.
Reply
Wednesday 01 October
By debra
I know its not good for these animls..but this still all look sooooooooooooo cute.
Reply
Wednesday 01 October
By Joy Sullivan
Surprise Surprise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dolphins are one of the smartest mamals
in the world
Reply
Wednesday 01 October
By howard roark
so long and thanks for all the fish
Reply
Saturday 04 October
By deb
:) gotta love that hitchiker series..:)
Wednesday 01 October
By Howard Roark
DOLPHIN L'ORANGE
2 lbs. Dolphin steakts (porpoise may be substituted)
1 c. vinegar
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. orange extract
2 sliced oranges
Place vinegar and sugar in saucepan. Boil until mix just starts to thicken. Add orange extract. Remove from heat. Place 1 layer orange slices on bottom of baking dish. Dip steaks in thickened sauce and place 1 layer in baking dish. Pour on excess sauce and cover with remaining citrus slices. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes per inch of filet thickness and serve.
Reply
Sunday 05 October
By paula
your are one sick minded person to eat dolphins
Wednesday 01 October
By Nana Lynne
Obviously, these poor Dolphins are not being fed properly. It's pretty sad when you take the time to come to a Park to visit the animals and they cannot perform correctly, somebody is not doing their job. Who ever heard of having to put Dolphins on a diet when all they are suppose to be eating is fish and their vitamins? Very very sad!
Reply
Wednesday 01 October
By Razor
HOWARD ROARK L'ORANGE
2 lbs of Howard Roark's @ss ham (rear portion of any other heartless jack@ss may be substituted)
1/2 c. vinegar (meat is naturally sour)
3 c. sugar (needs 3x the sweetness)
1 tbsp. orange extract
2 sliced oranges (do not use lemons, you'll just make it sour again)
Place vinegar and sugar in saucepan. Boil until mix just starts to thicken. Add orange extract. Remove from heat. Place 1 layer orange slices on bottom of baking dish. Dip Roark's @ss in thickened sauce and place 1 layer in baking dish. Pour on excess sauce and cover with remaining citrus slices. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes per inch of cheek thickness and serve.
Reply
Thursday 02 October
By Trun
So, are they dolphins or porpoises? You seem to enjoy using the terms interchangeably, and they aren't interchangeble. If the picture in the article is of the cetaceans in question, then they are bottle-nose dolphins.
Reply
Friday 17 October
By LC
Hi there Trun...
I apologize for the mix up between the non-interchangeable "porpoises" and "dolphins". The word "porpoises" was never used in my initial draft because, clearly, they are different animals. But then it went through the editorial process and was altered by...well, I won't name names. It's nobody's fault really. The blogosphere is a fast-paced circus with cutthroat consequences. But it was not my doing. I'm sorry. I hope you can cut me some slack.
PS--The Night of the Living Dead musical? Not performed BY children, but FOR children. Same circumstances. A little part of certain things die after revisions. Sigh.
Thursday 02 October
By valerie
see....this is why animals belong in their natural habitat. not caged or stuck in an aquarium. who ever heard of a fat dolphin? that's really sad...
Reply
Monday 06 October
By Ya right
Ya to bad they kill themselves in their own environment, more like zoo's need better funding so that the animals can have better exhibits.
Thursday 02 October
By MiamiMan
Dang, and I thought they were putting Miami Dolphin head coach Tony Sparano on a diet. Slim Fast, anyone?
Reply
Thursday 02 October
By rebecca
THAT IS PLAN CRAZY HOW DO THEY GET THAT BIG THATS NASTEY AND SOOO COOL
Reply
Thursday 02 October
By sam
they EAT. durrrrrr
Saturday 04 October
By bc
it's cruel and evil to make animals fat and suffer and die young and think it's cute. suffering is cute? how evil how cruel how scary.
Reply