Trump is now officially obese

Trump with his catering for the Clemson Tigers

(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

published 15 February 2019

President Trump "remains in very good health overall," his physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement released by the White House on Thursday, but he has put on a little weight since last year. Trump's new official weight of 243 pounds, given his official height of 6-foot-3, gives him a body mass index of 30.4, just above the level — 30 — at which doctors consider someone obese. Last year, he squeaked under the obesity level at 29.9 — though not everyone bought that. Among other things, Trump used to be officially 6-foot-2, and even that's pretty suspect.

Still, "girtherism" aside, Trump is a teetotaler who doesn't smoke, and his other vital statistics are pretty good for a 72-year-old who doesn't exercise. "Despite the fact that he's obese, his blood pressure is normal," Dr. Mariell Jessup, the American Heart Association's chief science and medical officer, tells The Associated Press. According to the AHA's risk calculator, Trump "has a 17 percent chance of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years," she added. About 40 percent of Americans are considered obese.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox