Clinton avoids diet pitfalls:

America

Trump

When Hillary Clinton’s staff laid out a spread of pulled pork and beans from a cafe in Arkansas, the she ate a single tomato slice. The Democratic front-runner sends her campaign team to scout out secluded tracks for brisk walks and hotel rooms with space for yoga. And she swears by the weightloss power of hot peppers, keeping red pepper flakes on hand when on the road.

Since launching her 2016 presidential bid campaign in April, Clinton has embarked on a diet and fitness regimen, hoping to avoid the weight gain that afflict most every White House hopeful amid the near-sleepless nights and temptation of nonstop snacking during a campaign.

Among supporters, her significant weight-loss — along with a style makeover — are subjects of constant chatter.

“She must be doing something right that I couldn’t figure out how to do politically and gastronomically,” said former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a Clinton backer who said he added 35 pounds (16 kg), ballooning up to 195 pounds (88 kg), during his eight-month campaign for president in 2004. “I don’t know how people stay trim on the campaign trail.”

All candidates have their tricks for staying fit while hustling for votes. President Barack Obama has often complained about the fried food that is a staple of campaign stops and is a regular at the gym, even when traveling. Sen. Rand Paul, a current Republican candidates, avoids fries. Rival Jeb Bush is a devotee of the Paleo diet, claiming to have lost 40 pounds (18 kg) by cutting carbs and dairy.

But no politician’s looks have been scrutinized as long or as intensely as Clinton’s, whose appearance has been a topic of conversation for decades.

“It’s a daily challenge,” the former first lady said earlier this year to a participant in a Facebook chat, who asked how she manages