Trump’s cardiovascular, weight issues mirror most of America
After results of President Trump’s annual physical were released last month, pundits and comedians had their predictable fun, snarkily questioning the accuracy of his listed height (6 feet, 3 inches — which Politico reported is 1 inch taller than what appears on his New York state driver’s license) and weight (239 pounds).
After all, 1 more pound and the president’s body mass index (BMI) would be 30 — which the United States Centers for Disease Control lists as “obese” — rather than the merely “overweight” 29.9 that he officially registers on the BMI chart.
Nevertheless, Trump is among the estimated twothirds of American adults who are either obese or overweight. Being overweight or obese puts a person at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and, according to the American Association for Cancer Research, 14 different types of cancer.
Of course, because BMI does not take into account body composition, it’s a notoriously unreliable tool for determining health, fitness and ideal body weight. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in
kilograms) by height (in centimeters) squared. A BMI between 19 and 25 is considered healthy.
So, by the CDC’s calculations, Tim Tebow’s 6-foot3-inch, 250-pound phy
sique makes him obese.
Where the president falls on the BMI chart is irrelevant says cardiologist Dr. David Wolinsky of
Cleveland Clinic Florida — especially when it comes to his cardiovascular health, for which Trump takes a daily cholesterollowering medication and over-the-counter aspirin.
“There’s no one test or measurement that we can point to and label a person healthy or unhealthy,” he said. “Rather, we consider a combination of factors.”
Wolinsky assesses patients’ cardiovascular risk factors in the following order:
■ Traditional risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, history of smoking, family history of cardiovascular disease)
■ Epigenetics (essentially, one’s own unique gene pat- tern — which the president’s physician, Dr. Ronny Jack- son, casually referenced in ascribing Trump’s “overall excellent health,” despite poor dietary and exercise
habits, to “[having] just great genes”)
■ Metabolic syndrome (this is an array of condi- tions — including high tryglycerides, high LDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, high
insulin resistance and excess abdominal fat — that can have a ripple effect through- out one’s organs)
Jackson acknowledged recommending to Trump that he lose “10 to 15 pounds.”
But beyond w hata doctor’s scale says, myriad research has shown that intra-abdominal — or “visceral” — fat carries risks to long-term health.
Visceral fat differs from subcutaneous fat — which is the visible, pinchable kind on the skin’s surface and settles on the lower portion of the torso, at the waist and hips. As long as a person is at a reasonable weight, subcutaneous fat rarely impacts overall health.
Conversely, visceral fat accumulates deep within the abdominal cavity, settles between vital internal organs, and affects how the entire body functions.
According to a recent article published by the Harvard University Medical School, “Research suggests that fat cells — particularly abdominal fat cells — are biologically active.
It’s appropriate to think of fat as an endocrine organ or gland, producing hormones and other substances that can profoundly affect our health … [and] disrupt the nor
mal balance and functioning of these hormones.”
So, how can one tell if one is at increased risk for visceral fat accumulation?
Experts say overweight people with a so-called “A shape” (upper belly bulge) accumulate more visceral fat than those with a “pear shape” (wide hips).
For those in the former category, take solace in
knowing that the Harvard article also says “visceral fat yields fairly easily to exercise and diet.”
Wolinsky said Cleveland Clinic Florida believes strongly in “the Mediterranean diet, which is low in saturated fats, sugar and simple carbohydrates and
emphasizes lean protein and fresh fruits and vegetables.”
According to Jackson, the notoriously exercisea verse Trump was more receptive to the dietary recommendations than
the one for increased physical activity.
With this being national Heart Health Month, the president has an opportunity to set a great exam- ple for the tens of millions of overweight and obese
Americans by taking his doctor’s recommenda-
tions to, well, heart.