The News: What is Happening?
Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked other people over their weight.
He has taunted former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over their size. At the White House correspondents’ dinner last month, Trump joked about Christie and Representative Jerry Nadler fighting over a cheesecake before declaring that he would “never call anybody fat.”
“I have my own problems, you know?” Trump added.
His own weight is now the subject of medical attention. Trump, 80, weighed 238 pounds at his most recent physical in May, according to a medical report released by the White House. That was 14 pounds more than at his previous annual examination, an increase the administration has acknowledged. Some reports have put his gain since the 2024 campaign at roughly 20 pounds. The difference reflects the comparison point: the 14-pound figure is based on two annual physicals, while the larger estimate uses a lower reported weight from the campaign.
At his self-reported height of 6-foot-3, Trump has a body mass index, or BMI, of about 29.7. A BMI of 30 is the threshold used to classify an adult as obese. His White House physician said Trump had been counseled to improve his diet, increase his physical activity and continue losing weight.
The White House did not directly answer questions from The Washington Post about the president’s weight. Instead, it pointed to his energy and stamina. Trump’s physicians have repeatedly described his overall health, cognitive fitness and energy in positive terms.
Outside physicians interviewed by The Post nevertheless said the weight itself represents a meaningful health risk.
“We know that obesity is a strong risk factor for numerous health issues — as well as premature disability and death,” Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness and a physician at George Washington University, told the newspaper. “Addressing obesity to protect the president’s health should be a priority similar to ensuring Secret Service protections for his life.”
BMI alone does not determine whether someone is healthy. It is a screening measure rather than a diagnosis, and physicians evaluating older patients may also consider body fat, overall health and physical function. Gitanjali Srivastava, a physician who specializes in obesity and has treated patients in their 70s and 80s, told The Post that for someone of Trump’s age, weight may be secondary to those broader measures.
Still, presidential physicians have been urging Trump to lose weight for years.
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