Trump enters obese range, but still in 'good health,' exam findings show

President Donald Trump has put on a few pounds over the past year and is now in the obese range, although he remains in “very good health overall,” according to the results of a physical examination conducted last week.

“After taking into account all the laboratory results, examinations and specialist recommendations, it is my determination that the president remains in very good health overall,” the president’s physician, Sean Conley, wrote in a memo on Thursday. A copy of the memo was released by the White House.

The memo, which detailed the findings of an examination of Trump that Conley led on Friday, said the 72-year-old president weighed 243 pounds (110.2 kg), up from 239 pounds (108.4 kg) in early 2018.

The findings pushed Trump into the obese range under a widely used government body mass index that aims to measure body fat based on height and weight.

Little more than a year ago, Trump’s doctor directed him to try to lose 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kg) by eating better and exercising.

Aides say he now eats more fish than he used to but still enjoys steaks, well done with ketchup on the side, and fried potatoes prepared by the chefs at the White House and at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Trump also has long had a well-documented fondness for fast food.

In his memo, Conley said he had increased the amount of rosuvastatin the president takes. The drug aims to lower LDL, or so-called bad cholesterol, while raising HDL, or good cholesterol. Over the past year, Trump’s LDL count fell, but so did his HDL count, the exam results showed.

Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney