Is President Bush Too Fat?
Call the Vise President, sound alarm bells, bring in the Marines, we have a situation on our hands. The President of the United States is officially fat! Just last year he was named the “most-fit” president in modern history. President Bush can run three miles under 7 minutes, bench presses 185 pounds for five repetitions, and works out 6 days a week.
The President supplements his diet with multi-vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine chondroitin, and low-doses of aspirin. Which makes me wonder if “multi-vitamins are garbage” claim holds water. Is it possible that the most powerful man in a world, under watchful eye of the best doctors, would be allowed to take worthless and possibly harmful supplements?
But that was last year. Over a year President Bush has gained 5 pounds, his current Body Mass Index (BMI) is 26, and that puts him in mildly overweight category, according to ABC News report. So he is not officially “gravitationally challenged�, but the report raises the same questions I have been getting over the years.
“I gained several pounds, should I start dieting?” Another popular question is, “My BMI is over by a few points, should I exercise more, and eat less?” I have noticed that often people, especially beginners, get a little lost in all of the wonderful, weight management tools that are available today.
Should you be worried? No, you should not be. Put away your scale, and only weigh yourself once a week. If you only gained or lost a few pounds, it is normal. Your body weight fluctuates almost constantly. A difference of up to 5 pounds (in some cases up to 10 pounds) is often dependent on amount of fluid in the body tissues.
The “gold standard” of body composition (a.k.a body fat percentage) testing is hydrostatic weighting. First, they put you on a regular scale, and then they dunk you in a pool of water, when your fat floats to the surface, the difference between your scale weight and your underwater weight is calculated. Nah, I am kidding.
Hydrostatic weighing is just weighing under water. If you do not know where to find it, check with Department of Kinesiology at your local university. If they do not have it, check with your local gym.
Body Mass Index is a tool with known limitations. It is not accurate, especially for men with above average muscle mass. However, it could be helpful for beginners, or gym veterans, because you can track your progress with it.
I think medical insurance premiums would go down at least by 15%, if only half of 60-year old males would have the same annual physical results as President Bush.
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08-09-06 at 4:44 pm
He might be overweight or he might be carrying more lean muscle.
I think bmi is good but it should be altered I feel a healthy BMI is 19 to 27 or maybe 28 because someone with a low body fat can have a higher BMI. You have fitness experts and Olympians who technical quay as obese. Yes I believe that BMi’s are good but the range is wrong.
My Bmi a few weeks ago was 22.1. I found out this is way too low for me.
08-09-06 at 4:46 pm
I do feel supplements should only be given with help from a medical professional
08-09-06 at 5:30 pm
Good point iportion. I think the industry would benefit from the same regulations that drug companies have to follow. Understandably, doctors usually speak against supplements, because medical schools taught them to use drugs. Many doctors “shoot� Lipitor faster than Clint Eastwood can say ‘cowboy.
I don’t go to doctors, but I spoke with a number of them over the years. Just out of curiosity, I asked them about fish oil. They told me with a straight face, that fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) has no known cardiovascular benefits.
08-11-06 at 8:02 pm
It's not that Omega Fatty acids don't do good the do but taking fish oil pills can't do a lifetime of bad eating and can't undue heart defects.
It's that it can't do enough good. I think eating lean pollution free fish as part of balanced diet would do better.
The coral calcium rage not only damaged the reef but many of those pills have lead in them.