Trump Gains 10kg Compared to Before Presidential Election, Experts Warn of Health Risks

U.S. President Donald Trump's weight has increased sharply compared to before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and medical experts are issuing health risk warnings, the U.S. daily The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 23rd (local time).

According to the report, when President Trump was criminally charged and booked at a jail in Fulton County, Georgia, in August 2023 over allegations of attempting to overturn the presidential election results, his intake record listed his height at 6 feet 3 inches (190 cm) and weight at 215 pounds (97.5 kg).

In a physical examination report released by the White House last May, President Trump's weight was announced as 238 pounds (108 kg).

This is an increase of about 10.5 kg in approximately 33 months.

His weight has increased by more than 6 kg compared to the 224 pounds (101.6 kg) recorded in the health examination report released by the White House in April of last year.

WP noted, "Considering his height of 6 feet 3 inches, this is about 1.6 pounds (0.7 kg) shy of being classified as 'obese' as he was in 2019 and 2020."

President Trump's personal physician, Sean Barbabella, recommended continuous weight loss and diet management in the May report.

At the same time, he stated that President Trump maintains excellent health across overall physical functions including his heart, lungs, and nervous system, adding that he is "fully fit to execute all duties as Commander-in-Chief and Head of State."

Ronny Jackson, who served as physician during Trump's first administration, also stated in a 2002 memoir, "I told him (Trump) to pay a bit more attention to his diet, and that exercising and losing weight would improve his health, but otherwise he was in exceptional shape for his age."

President Trump has frequently mentioned his weight issues.

At a White House Correspondents' Association dinner speech last month, he joked, "I won't tell anyone they are 'fat,' but I have my own problems too."

Regarding his diet last May, he said, "Maybe junk food is good and other food is not good. I know many people who passed away while worrying about weight management and this and that, but we are still here. I am doing very great."

In a podcast interview with Usha Vance, the Vice President's wife, broadcast last month, President Trump mentioned former President William Howard Taft, whose weight exceeded 300 pounds (136 kg), saying, "He was the heaviest president in our history and I must be careful not to surpass his record. That could happen if I let myself go."

Medical experts point out that President Trump's weight is a risk factor, while acknowledging that many Americans struggle with similar issues, WP noted.

According to federal data, more than 40% of American adults are obese, and over 30% are overweight.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others have stated that helping Americans lose weight should be a top priority for health campaigns like "Make America Healthy Again" and for extending life expectancy.

David Kessler, who served as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the administrations of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, warned that excessive body fat in Americans causes premature death, stating, "Excess abdominal fat, or visceral fat, is fat that should not be around the liver, pancreas, and heart."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.