Barack Obama told to quit smoking

Barack Obama is in excellent health, but needs to quit smoking, his doctor said on Sunday.

The President was judged as being “fit for duty” after a 90 minute examination by Dr Jeffrey Kuhlman, which took place at the National Naval Medical Centre in Bethesda. It was Obama’s first official assessment since entering office last year.

His blood pressure and heart rate were perfectly healthy, said Dr Kuhlman. However, his cholesterol was high – something he could fix through eating a better diet – and he was also told to continue his smoking cessation efforts.

Obama confessed during an interview last year that he still has the occasional cigarette despite being, for the most part, a reformed smoker. His family have reportedly been urging him to quit, and he is taking nicotine gum to help him overcome the habit.

Aside from giving up smoking, Obama was also told to exercise, maintain a moderate alcohol intake, eat healthily, and keep up-to-date with recommended immunisations.

The medical examination was big news in America. It was welcomed as a sign that despite having a stressful first term, where he has had to deal with the recession, and a massive argument over health care reform, his health has not suffered.

Presidents and smoking

While Obama may be finding it tough to give up the habit, he certainly isn’t the first US President to have struggled with a tobacco addiction.

Franklin Roosevelt, for example, was a chain-smoker. John F Kennedy also liked cigarettes, though he reportedly had a particular fondness for Cuban cigars.

A more recent case was Bill Clinton. The health of President Clinton was recently in the news when he conceded that, had he lived a healthier lifestyle in his younger years, he could have avoided some of the heart problems that contributed to a recent hospital visit where he underwent heart bypass surgery.