Zoo beasts must battle the bulge, too

And whose fault is that?

"Gorillas on Weight Watchers? Polar bears slurping sugar-free Jell-O shots? Giraffes nibbling alfalfa biscuits?

The days of letting visitors throw marshmallows to the animals are mostly history at zoos around the country, replaced by a growing focus on diet and nutrition that parallels the fitness craze in humans.

And thanks to mounting research on wild animals' food needs, today's zoo staffers are trying new feeding tricks to keep their lions and tigers and bears healthy and happy.

Avoiding obesity is part of the program."

Likely so they can tell the residents from the visitors.

"'We're trying to keep calorie intake within a limit ... 'We are very vigilant about monitoring the animals' weight, because, like humans, it can lead to other health problems,' Watts said."

What were the zookeepers doing all along?

They must have been as negligent as the School Nutrition Association.