The health condition of US President Donald Trump is once again causing concern, and this time the focus is on his weight. From the president’s medical reports, which were examined as part of an article published in the “Washington Post”, it appears that the 80-year-old Trump currently weighs about 108 kg, after having gained about 6.5 kg within a year. Experts who spoke to the newspaper warned that at his age, weight gain is a significant risk factor that must be treated as a high priority.
Considering Trump’s height, about 1.90 meters, his current weight places him slightly below the threshold defined as obesity. The article stated that in 2023, at the time of his arrest in Georgia as part of the attempt to sway the election results, his weight was recorded as only 97.5 kg. However, the source of the figure he gave at the time is unclear. The more certain figure comes from the last two medical tests: the White House confirmed that within a year the president had gained about 6.5 kg.
The increase comes at a time when many questions are being asked about the health of the oldest president elected to office. In recent months, Trump has been seen with bruises on his hands and swelling in his ankles, and in some public appearances he even seems sleepy. His White House doctors have advised him to improve his diet, increase exercise and lose weight, but experts outside the administration are putting the warning more starkly.
“We know that obesity is a significant risk factor for a large number of health problems, as well as early disability and death,” said Dr. Scott Kahn, director of the National Center for Weight and Health.
Dr. Stuart Fisher, an internist who previously worked in an emergency room, also warned in June of the trend continuing. “Someone needs to sit with him quietly and tell him: ‘You’re playing with fire,'” he said. “The fact that his doctors were unable to convince him about his weight is interesting to me. This should cause concern.”
Lover of McDonald’s, sweets and Diet Coke
Trump’s eating habits accompany him throughout his political career. The president is known for his fondness for McDonald’s, sweets and Diet Coke, and according to reports he also eats snacks at night. Even the Secretary of Health in his administration, Robert Kennedy Jr., had difficulty explaining how the president manages to maintain his function alongside this menu. “He eats really bad food, McDonald’s, candy and Diet Coke. He drinks Diet Coke all the time,” he said earlier this year. “He has the physique of a god. I don’t know how he’s still alive, but he’s alive.”
The White House did not directly answer questions regarding weight gain and preferred to emphasize his daily schedule and energy level. “The sharpness, unprecedented energy, work ethic and historic approachability of President Trump stand in stark contrast to what we saw in the previous administration,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. According to him, Trump is “the sharpest and most approachable president in American history”, who works non-stop to realize his promises.
Trump himself does not ignore his weight, but usually refers to it mainly with humor. When he announced in June steps to make drugs from the GLP-1 family more accessible, he said he had never used the drug for weight loss, but added that he might do so. In July, in an interview with Osha Vance’s podcast, the wife of the vice president, he mentioned former president William Howard Taft, who is considered the toughest president in US history, and said he should be careful not to break his record.
Even during his first term, Trump had to deal with similar recommendations. In 2019, he weighed about 110 kg and entered the definition of obesity, and his doctor advised him to lose between 4.5 and 7 kg through a change in diet and physical activity. After leaving the White House in 2021 he looked thinner, but according to the latest official figures, the trend has reversed.