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By Julie Upton, RD

I was so upset last year to read reports that to some people, Barack Obama was considered “too skinny to be President.” While he does seem to be the fittest and slimmest of any modern-day U.S. presidents, he is certainly not underweight at all.

Barack Obama is 6’2″ and is reported to weigh about 190 pounds. That equals a body mass index of 24.4, which puts him in the ideal body-composition range—and in even better shape than his immediate predecessor, George W. Bush, who clocks in at 5’11″ and 194 pounds, with a BMI of 27.

Calculate your BMI and healthiest weight here.

Compared to most candidates—who hit the campaign trail and gain weight (Bill Clinton gained a reported 30 pounds when he was stumping in the ’90s)—Obama actually lost a few pounds. And yes, there were greasy diners and burger joints along the trail, but Obama was also seen on many occasions hitting farmer’s markets for local produce to nosh on during the day. Unfortunately, it seems that many oversize Americans considered his weight to be a weakness instead of a strength.

Instead of distancing ourselves from our fit commander in chief, why not look to him and his family as an inspiration? I’m hopeful that in the next four years, our country’s waistline can benefit from our new leader—either from his policies or by his example. And how might that happen? Here are four ways the new president might improve the way you eat.

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