Even the president of the U.S is not immune to the health problems that afflict most of us as we get older – apparently Barack Obama has slightly raised cholesterol.
Reporters were surprised when after taking the presidential motorcade to give a speech on Monday, the President chose to walk back to the White House through Layfayette Park in Washington. He told them that he was trying to walk of his cholesterol, which he attributed to the year spent campaigning.
He revealed that after having a physical exam on Sunday his doctor told him that the levels of the ‘bad’ cholesterol LDL in his blood had risen to the borderline level (meaning they were becoming a concern) since his last exam in 2007.
White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said that the rise was a result of too many cheeseburgers and desserts. He joked with reporters that though they all thought Obama was very conscious about his health and ‘carried arugula in his pocket to snack on’, the president actually has a very sweet tooth.
He said that as Obama has access to kitchen staff and a pastry chef, sweet foods were more available so the president was more likely to indulge his love of desserts.
It is not known whether the president will be starting on statins to lower his cholesterol.
The physical also revealed that President Obama has still not managed to quit smoking, though he has previously spoken about his struggles to give up. Mr. Gibbs said that he was very aware of the example he sets to America’s youth and knows that his addiction is not a ‘good thing’ for either his children or those throughout the States to see.