Donald Trump’s health is facing renewed scrutiny after new medical information showed a significant increase in the president’s weight.
Trump weighed 238 pounds in May, according to a Washington Post report published this week. The figure means he has put on nearly 25 pounds since his most recent campaign for the White House. Much of that increase appears to have happened recently: Trump gained 14 pounds between his two latest annual checkups.
Doctors who examined the information say the number on the scale is not necessarily the biggest concern. Instead, they are worried about what the additional weight could mean for Trump’s internal health.
Donald Trump’s weight
One of those doctors is David Kessler, who previously led the Food and Drug Administration. He focused on visceral fat, which develops around organs rather than directly underneath the skin.
“That visceral adiposity is fat around our liver, pancreas, our heart where it doesn’t belong,” Kessler said, according to VT, adding that it triggers concerns about ‘premature death’.
Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness, also warned that the issue should not be reduced to Trump’s appearance.
“Obesity is a strong risk factor for numerous health issues,” he said, “as well as premature disability and death.”
The type of fat doctors are watching
Visceral fat can be concerning because it is biologically active. It is associated with several major health problems, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain cancers.
Trump has previously acknowledged that he wants to lose weight.
“The one thing I would like to do is be able to drop 15, 20 pounds,” he told Mehmet Oz, who now runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The president has also joked publicly about his weight. At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month, he said: “I would never call anybody fat… I have my own problems, you know?”
Donald Trump’s eating habits
Trump has openly embraced fast food and has previously said he exercises for ‘about one minute a day, max’. He has described golf as his main form of physical activity, while noting that he generally plays using a cart.
Trump’s doctor raised concerns during his most recent physical, and his family has reportedly encouraged him to make changes.
Kennedy has also spoken publicly about Trump’s habits. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on camera that he does not understand how the president is still alive given his diet.
The president’s age makes those questions particularly significant. Trump is the oldest serving president in American history and will be 82 by the end of his current term.
The White House has not responded
Trump’s press team has previously rejected health-related concerns, characterizing them as politically motivated. His supporters have pointed to his busy schedule, including rallies and other public appearances, as evidence that he remains healthy enough to perform his duties.
But the doctors cited in the report are raising issues that cannot necessarily be answered by looking at how active Trump appears in public.
Their focus is on the potential health consequences of the additional weight, particularly the possibility of visceral fat accumulating around vital organs.
The reported 14-pound increase between Trump’s two most recent physicals has consequently brought a more specific medical concern into the discussion surrounding the president’s health.
And two doctors reviewing the same information independently raised the possibility of premature death.
