Trump is now officially obese

Trump with his catering for the Clemson Tigers

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

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.

Former AHA president Dr. Robert Eckel said he would recommend a lower cholesterol target than what Trump's doctors are aiming for. "Losing some weight would help modify some of the risk factors for heart disease," Eckel told AP. "A 20- to 25-pound weight loss would be what I'd recommend if he were my patient. And that's not a quick fix."

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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.