William Howard Taft was our largest president in terms of girth. It is rumored that he once got stuck in the White House bathtub, and if he didn’t, had a larger one installed. Taft’s BMI topped out at 42.3.
Donald Trump’s published weight a year ago was 239. If that’s an accurate weight, then his BMI would have been 29.9. This placed him well below Taft, and trailing other portly U.S. leaders, like Grover Cleveland (34.6), William McKinley (31.1), and Teddy Roosevelt (30.2). Bill Clinton, who it was said by his wife back in 1992 that her husband “loves to eat and he enjoys it,” had a BMI of 28.3 while president. During his first campaign, his weight ballooned 30 pounds, in part due to his penchant for Southern delicacies like ribs, potato salad, and sweet potato pie from Little Rock eateries Sims Bar-B-Q and Tex-Mex dishes made with lots of cheese, from Juanita’s, among others.
Interestingly, since he had his quadruple heart bypass surgery, the 42nd president is now mainly a plant-based vegan. If you’ve seen the former president, he looks great and is likely 30 to 40 pounds lighter than when he left office.
The current president (scowling) and other recent presidents at the George W. Bush funeral.
I am once again limiting my news consumption. Like the last time, I’m tired of the never-ending cycling of themes that have little or nothing to do with my life. Given that these days, journalism seems to be not much more than recycling presidential tweets, I’m really not interested in what these arbiters of truth tell me is “important.”
Not only am I limiting my exposure to the 24/7 news cycle, I’m also being much more intentional about the foods I am eating. As a result, I’ve dropped weight in a Clinton-esque manner. I am now down half of what the former president dropped after leaving office. Oh, I occasionally allow myself to “splurge” a bit, just like I do with political news.
The other day I heard that Mr. Trump was coming up on his annual appointment with his presidential physician. Not surprisingly (if you’ve paid attention to photos and his appearances on television), the president seems to have socked on a few pounds since he assumed his new home on Pennsylvania Avenue.
On Friday, he spent four hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and had a check-up with Dr. Sean P. Conley, his physician. There were another 11 specialists taking part.
Conley put in writing that Trump is “in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his Presidency.” No word what his weight might have been. I’m sure it wasn’t 239 because on Thanksgiving, my weight was 236 and I’m the same height as the president. I’d say his weight’s considerably more than 239 these days, especially if you’ve been privy to a rash of unflattering photos of the prez, often on the golf course: he’s got a gut, and some have described him looking like a “tubby idiot.” That’s probably a little unkind, even if the president rarely shies away from mocking and making unflattering remarks about just about everyone else.
Weighing less than the president these days.
Apparently, the mystery of the president’s weight has spawned a community on Twitter using the hashtag, #Girthermovement. Followers posit what Trump’s true weight might actually be. The range is anywhere from 250 to 300 pounds, or more.
But hey: it’s not my place to question his views on exercise or choosing a diet consisting of nothing other than McDonald’s Big Macs, supplemented with KFC fare.
Unlike the president, my diet doesn’t include fast food and hasn’t for quite some time. But, I am much more disciplined these days in all areas of my life. I’m enjoying the results, too.
I’m aware of the pitfalls of diets and weight loss schemes. My focus has been on attaining my “leanest livable weight.” That term was coined back in 2015 by Traci Mann, author of Secrets From the Eating Lab. Her advice was relative to data showing that diets don’t work. Interestingly—in typical Twitter fashion—the article where Mann mentioned the term, published on Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site, Goop, caused a shit storm. Why? Because in dysfunctional America, no one bothers to read an article before reacting. Also, somehow, daring to urge people (especially women) to aim for the low-end of your body’s “settling weight” was somehow unreasonable. The inability of Americans to interact with facts and not react irrationally might be one reason why we have an obesity rate in the U.S. closing in on 40 percent, and affecting nearly 100 million Americans.
The CDC notes that obesity in the U.S. can lead to conditions that include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer: these are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death. Not only that, the estimated annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion in 2008 dollars. No wonder healthcare costs continue skyrocketing, yearly. Oh, and obesity could be a more pressing concern than building a wall, Mr. Trump. Just saying.
One wish among many I have for the president is that he would “own” his weight. And then, perhaps make some healthy changes in how he eats, and even, add some exercise that includes something other than riding around in his golf cart, save to find a ball in the rough. But, he serves as an able “stand-in” for the people who support him and think he is incapable of ever doing anything wrong.
This doesn’t look like 239.
My own experience over the past 11 weeks or so has been positive in terms of eating healthy and moving towards my body’s optimum weight. Dispelling myths that you can’t enjoy food and still lose weight, by tweaking my plant-based vegan diet, I am eating a host of great-tasting options: burgers made from plant protein, potatoes, grains rich in proteins (like quinoa), lots of fruits and vegetables, and even an occasional “comfort food” like the delectable vegan ravioli produced by Nuttin Ordinary.
Finding your healthy weight requires some discipline. I won’t deny that. But the rewards for being more intentional are many—they can also include great-tasting foods that don’t poison the planet.
Plant-based comfort foods: good for you, good for the planet.
Disclaimer: The Content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.