It seems President Obama has been eating his vegetables.
According to a May physical exam conducted by the president’s physician, Obama’s “overall health is excellent.” The report, released Thursday, shows that the president remains in excellent health and that he eats a healthy diet.
In the two-page memo, Obama’s doctor, Ronny L. Jackson, said the president “continues to enjoy all the benefits of good health,” and that he will stay that way for the remainder of his term.
“All clinical data indicates that the president is currently healthy and that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency,” Dr. Jackson wrote in a memo to press secretary Jay Carney.
The report states that Obama makes healthy lifestyle choices by eating healthy foods, exercising daily, no longer smoking, and drinking alcohol occasionally and in moderation. President Obama was a former smoker who still occasionally chews nicotine gum, as noted by his doctor.
Since the results from his exam 2.5 years ago, Obama’s weight has remained pretty steady, losing just 1.3 pounds. His body mass index (BMI) is down 0.2 kg, while his resting heart rate is down five beats per minute from 67. His blood pressure is up slightly from 107/71 mm Hg to 112/70 mm Hg, and his total cholesterol is up to 213 from 193.
Obama takes the occasional ibuprofen for mild tenderness in the muscle behind his right foot, and takes a daily supplement for mild Vitamin D deficiency, according to the report.
President Obama may have his wife to thank for his overall health-consciousness. The first lady’s major White House initiative “Let’s Move!” was first launched in February 2010. She enlisted the help of the president and Vice President Joe Biden to participate in a video that showed how the pair moved around the West Wing.
Video surfaced recently of President Obama working out during a trip overseas. Gym users at the Warsaw Marriott Hotel in Poland captured images and video of the president lunging, lifting dumbbells, and jogging on the elliptical. Also an avid basketball fan and a former high school basketball player, Obama has played pickup games with professional athletes.
This is the first report on the president’s health in nearly three years. After his last physical in October 2011, inquiries from the press were made about the status of his current health.
