1. He’s expected to support local and organic farmers
Both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have expressed their desire to support legislation in favor of local and organic agriculture. Obama frequently mentions his appreciation of reform-minded food writer Michael Pollan, reports the New York Times, and wife Michelle has said she tries to buy organic when she can.
2. Food prices may go down…or up
It’s fitting that the president who is taking office at a time when the use of food stamps is at a record high in this country actually grew up in a family that, at one time, used food stamps themselves. Obesity is also at a record high in America, and Obama has made it clear that he understands the connection. His administration has pledged to put nutrition at the forefront of all food-assistance programs, and to make sure that people are getting not just more calories, but healthy ones at that.
Whether or not these policies make healthy food more affordable, I do expect to see unhealthy food prices going in the opposite direction. More cities and states may start to follow New York’s proposed legislation for instituting “obesity taxes” on junk food, such as soda and candy. And with cash-strapped local governments and an administration that is expected to be less sympathetic to food corporations, the Fed will most likely let these municipalities implement make their own decisions.
Next page: Food safety should improve
Comments (125)
Is BMI the only factor that is being used to assess his fitness? Is he also physically active and does he exhibit other criteria for fitness? Is his smoking status being considered in his fitness?
Excellent article Julie! I agree with your sentiment – America has forgotten what a “normal, healthy” weight looks like and now considers people who are average weight and fit as “underweight.” He certainly has a lot on his plate right now but it would be great to make a dent in those four points you mentioned.
I am all for celebrating the opportunity to shift our priorities–with the government’s policies in allignment instead of HHS berating the public for obesity while farm policy makes is cheaper and cheaper to produce highly processed and adulterated food.
At the same time does it give anyone else pause to consider that a man who is basically a genetically endowed ectamorph with a history of smoking just fits into the ideal weight BMI category (despite the reported junk food consumption along the campaign trail?) I wonder what message we send to mesomorphs and endomorphs who have much thicker muscle mass. I imagine that many individuals have stopped listening to this tired diatribe about ideal body weight.
I am appalled at this article touting the fitness of Obama, when he is a smoker, which is the singular WORST thing you can do to your body. Be careful who you label as fit if you want to portray an image of being a “health” magazine as there is not a single person who could possible label smoking as healthy.
gpendergras, thank you for saying that as I too was appalled that “health” magazine would tell us to emulate a president who may be in shape on the outside but is clearly to weak-willed to quit smoking cigarettes…gotta give him credit for his ability to hide it from the american public so well that most of his blinded voters don’t even know that about him!
Unbelievable. This is a health magazine and I must say I too am appalled at even the Title, The Obama Diet. I used to smoke and was skinny but I was NOT healthy. Smoking is the most destructive legal thing you can do to your body, nothing healthy about it, NOTHING. I quit smoking 7 years ago and feel great even though a little more pounds added.
i agree smoking is an awful habit…but gpendergrass and caroline, it seems that you both failed to see that this is an article on eating habits.
“Barack Obama said he has successfully quit smoking cigarettes despite the pressures of a closely contested and lengthy presidential campaign.”
To Caroline who says the president is “to weak willed” – learn how to spell; maybe you were “the child left behind”
To Mitch Paddock – is the president physically active? Where have you been???? His commitment to cardiovascular exercise and weight training has been widely reported.
I am SO disappointed that you feature our new chain-smoking president as a role model for Health readers. Perhaps his many cigarettes help him stay thin. It can’t be the Obama diet, as his wife certainly isn’t thin. Yikes! Thanks Health – maybe we should all try smoking as a way to avoid pounds.
Obama has absolutely no qualifications as a health expert. NONE! Why on earth would anyone listen to anything about what he does? HE SMOKES!!! How healthy is that??? I just decided to cancel my subscription to Health magazine if he is used as any kind of example to be modeled.
Martha,
Why are you attacking someone for spelling? You are not, I repeat, not being nice. And as far as bringing up “the child left behind” I have one of those special children, and I hope that you don’t, because you obviously would say horrible things. How dare you???!!! I wasn’t going to point out that you left out a period in your sentence because none of us are perfect, and that is the beauty of each of us.
I agree with Amanda completely. Yes smoking is an awful, unhealthy habit. But this article looks at eating habits or the Obamas. Just because he smokes or has smoked doesn’t make him unhealthy. Health made a great choice to pick the President to feature because of his popularity and the way he appeals to the American people. I for one enjoyed this article and was interested to see what the Obamas are doing to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
what about second hand smoke concerns? Are his girls being exposed? As a lung cancer survivor and a non smoker I worry.
President Obama (nice to finally lose the president-elect title) is a natural ectomorph.
Unless his suddenly develops an underactive thyroid, he is NEVER going to have a high BMI.
I would be more concerned about the effects that an insanely high level of stress is going to have on his health.
Will he be able to stay off of the cigarettes?
Will he find time to play some pick-up basketball in between hunting down Osama Bin Laden and fixing the world’s economy?
Will the White House head chef be preparing a lot of fish and veggies or will the Prez be dining on pizza slices?
Either way, for the next 4 to 8 years, just about every aspect of his life will be scrutinized by the ever present media.
Hopefully, he will set a healthy example for the rest of the country.
UNBELIEVABLE!!You have to be kidding me!!!OBAMA HEALTHY!!!You mean chain smoking Obama? I sure don’t want my kids following in his healthy footsteps. Now I’m done with Heath Magazine.
Whew! Sounds like a few people got up on the wrong side of the bed on this glorious day! I’ve been listening and watching such a positive message all day long and then I came across some of these holier than thou criticisms from “perfect” people. I’d rather listen to those who strive to correct the errors they’ve made instead of those who never see their own weaknesses. Smoking IS an unhealthy habit, but there are many other unhealthy behaviors also.
Smoking is an addiction. Nicotine is rated as the most addictive. I have never smoked. Hated it all my life. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles all smoked while I suffered w/runny nose and eyes, frequent colds and pneumonia (only drug available was sulfa) Felt it shortened the lives of many loved ones. I pray that Obama will be able to kick his addiction.
If we need obesity taxes to stop eating a full bag of potato chips instead of one serving, there are other societal problems we need to take care of.
Are you guys hating on Obama because of his PAST history of smoking or because he is now your president? Yes smoking is a nasty unhealthy habit. But so is anorexia, drinking, drugs, unactivity, “abnormal” sexual behaviour, and the list goes on! He quit smoking now let’s get all of the other millions of smokers to do the same. While we’re at it, how about all of us play basketball the way he does and get our body weight down to normal like him!
The man hasn’t been president 24 hours and he is taking hits. I didn’t know he smoked but it seems he has given up the nasty habit. Hope he did. Aside from that he does look pretty fit to me.
I too am an ectomorph, although a non smoking one. I’ve been skinny all my life. At 18 years old, 6′-0″ 125 lbs. Now @ 60 years, 200. Obama’s day will come. I keep fighting the fight and positive thing helps. God bless vegatables and cheese burgers!
Martha, you are PETTY (did I spell that correctly?) just like the typical Obama voter…
Is it more important HOW our president looks and his personal habits or whether he supports health care changes (specifically expanded reimbursement for nutritional services)?
Bad choice for a role model. This is not HEALTHY. Next time do your homework, it seems most of your readers knew more about his lifestyle and choices than you did. That is not good.
All–
Thank you for the great dialogue. Smoking is horrible; and I believe our new Prez has quit or is trying….
He is naturally thin–I agree–but this article was clearly about diet and nutrition policy that may help improve the nutrition of Americans.
Julie
Am I the only one hearing banjos?
BTW, for those of you strumming away, that is a reference to Deliverance.
Once again instead of just saying what their real problem with Obama is, people are just spouting nonsense.
Some people couldn’t get their fact straight if they had a ruler.
HE HAS QUIT SMOKING!!
God, it’s going to be a long 8 years!!
Get your facts straight. He has NOT quit smoking. He has just quit smoking in PUBLIC. He can’t seem to kick the habit. A relative of mine works for the Secret Service. While I hope he makes a good President, he just isn’t a healthy role model, especially for kids.
Oh, sorry, all I have is the gotcha media to inform me about his habits.
I don’t know anybody in the Secret Service!
I hadn’t heard that so I guess they are good at keeping secrets!
My bad…
WOW this IS supposed to be about President Obama’s diet and eating practices and has been turned around, distorted and twisted down to the subject of him quitting smoking and his secret service people telling HIS secrets.
We have such a long road ahead of us and most of these comments prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s not going to be an easy one. There is no need or want for any type of extremists here in the good ‘ole U.S.A. any longer. It’s time for all us to take responsibility and to change OURSELVES and for us to show the next generations that these petty, distorted, little differences have been tearing our country apart for way too long. No wonder we are ALL in the mess that we are. WAKE UP!!
All I can say is HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH LOLOL HAHAHAHAHAHA
Barack Obama is president of the United States of America!!!!You won’t have to search very long to find many, many wonderful attributes that he possesses. Let’s look at that!!!! He will kick the smoking habit!!!!
Where is President Bush’s credit for being in amazingly physically fit for a man his age?
He likely has a greater level of physical fitness than Obama does considering he neither smokes nor drinks AND jogs or rides a bike on an almost daily basis.
Obama has NOT quit smoking. Supposedly according to news reports he’s trying, which probably means he never quit. Yes, this is about nutrition, and HEALTH. Smoking causes more cancer and illness than poor NUTRITION!!!. The economy would even be better if he and others quit smoking!! It does impact health. Obama is NOT an expert on nutrition so he shouldn’t be used as such! That’s not a political statement…he was just a terrible example to be used in Health magazine.
Did anyone even read this article? Seems that several writers just skipped to nasty comments about our president! HE didn’t write the article & what was written were points of possible legislation that would benefit all of us….healthy, safe food choices among them. 40 years ago I started smoking because everyone I worked with, lived with or was friends with, did. Stupid, I know now, but I quit 20 years ago & I don’t feel that I should be belittled now, or that anyone should! Weight is a much bigger problem for me now, after being too thin for 45 years. So, any consideration given to our much bigger & current national problem of obesity would be most welcome.
If his healthy eating habits are going to be adopted by everyone, does that also mean that his horrid, unhealthy smoking habit will be acceptable too?
I would also like to add – that yes, this is an article about healthy eating, but as with anything in life – if you put on the blinders and extract one element without looking at the whole picture – well, you just don’t get the whole picture. Smokers should have different eating habits than non-smokers to try to offset some of the damage that smoke causes. So, yes – his habits and lifestyle are woven into his eating habits.
And, his term is 4 years. At the end of 4 years he may run again.
I also want to say that it is disgusting for anyone who is in such an influential position to smoke. Very wrong – and what about his children – does he not care about their health and the example he sets?
Not many people are following the “posting rules!” Healthy eating is the subject — why is the President and his family being attacked in this blog?
He exercises moderation when eating high fat foods, along with eating locally grown veggies – for those of us who are selective with what we eat – this is article is helpful.
I really really hope that he quit smoking as he said, promised, swore to. I really have faith in Michelle’s ability to keep him from doing that.
See what happend to Billiboy. Heart surgery, and then suddenly uncontrollably tempramentful. Because he smoked.
SMOKINGSHOULDBEBANNEDEVERYWHEREITSEVIL
While we are talking about his health habits…did it get lost in translation that the man stopped smoking? or did I miss something?
For those who say he is an “ectomorph” must have skipped the pictures of him as a child and his overweight mother, grandmother, and grandfather. And if our first lady is overweight to anyone then I suppose Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez are too. She is a statuesque woman with a booty that our president and many, many men prefer to a Nicole Ritchie/Paris Hilton body type. And BTW the man did quit smoking. What he has said is that he has slipped up now and then and the person who knows someone who knows someone who works for the Secret Service…? That has to be the most ridiculous statement I have heard amongst all the attacks against President and First Lady Obama. We applauded President Bush when he quit drinking even though we all know that alcoholism is a daily struggle. I would submit that smoking is very much like that. My goodness people…
He quit smoking did’nt he! Nobody’s perfect. He can model my children anytime!
President quit smoking did’nt he! Noone is perfect. He can serve as model for my children anytime.
President Obama quit smoking did’nt he? Nobody is perfect. He can serve as a model for my children anytime!
Not everyone can afford organic food. Someone said obesity is because people are weak. What about Obama’s smoking habit. That is disgusting yet he doesn’t have the fortitude to quit. A sign of weakness I would say. And DO NOT tell me what I can and cannot eat.
Thanks for this article, and your other posts. Very interesting. Yes, Obama is changing the direction of the energy in the world right now, except for something very important in regards to our health. His choice for Sec of Ag, Tom Vilsack, is a promoter of Monsanto and genetically modified organisms in our seeds. Please look into genetically modified organisms and the way they have been proven in recent studies to affect health in humans and animals – and the health of neighboring crops. The long-term effect of GMOs – which are in our processed and packaged foods right now and on our fresh food shelves UNLABELED – could be disastrous for human health. We already have new diseases and conditions. Please look at this article on the organic consumers association site: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16594.cfm.
Thank you so much for your work in health, which helps so many people.
Apparently, a bunch of Rush Limbaugh listeners trolled over to this article.
President Obama has quit smoking in public – which is a recognition that it is an unhealthy, unpopular habit. He has also tried to quit altogether while being transparent that he “fell off the wagon” more than once. He also kept Hillary Clinton’s “No Smoking” policy in place in the White House so those of you who claim you are just worried about second-hand smoke can rest easy there.
The president is known to work out for an hour each morning (usually 7:45 to 8:45). Plus he often plays basketball and golf (shoots in the 90s) so he has a very active lifestyle.
One thing the article did not mention is that a few press pool reporters noted that while on the campaign trail, Obama would routinely eat a bit and then get takeout from those bars, diners and greasy spoons where he’d stop to meet voters. I am guessing a lot of those meals he didn’t actually eat all of. That’s some willpower.
I don’t agree with calling Obama weak-willed. It’s a personal attack. And I am a strong supporter of him. However, it is horrid to call him “healthy” when he smokes–a habit that is a known killer. Meanwhile, “obesity” is simply purported to be so. When I add up all the senior citizens I know, people well past their 70’s and 80’s, the majority of them would be categorized by the CDC as “overweight” or “obese,” according to their BMI’s. But they aren’t dead. They are alive and active. So where’s the logic that thin automatically equals fit and longevity? There is none. Our country’s obsession with thinness above all else has led us to classifying a man who smokes as healthy. Read Paul Campos’ The Obesity Myth.”
And for all you know nothings out there…the President quit smoking before he hit the campaign trail.
NOT a CHAIN smoker. He admits to finding it hard and sneaks one now and then, but is getting better.
If we cant follow his example, then whose can we?
Wow! What a bunch of HATERS out there!! You sanctimonious do gooders need to chill out! Give PRESIDENT OBAMA a break! I sure wish I was as perfect as some of y’all! The article was not written by PRESIDENT OBAMBA, and it’s not so much about HIS diet, as it is in trying to improve Americans diets, regulations, etc. Hey I know!!! How about we go back to good ol’ conservative republican thinking and list catsup as a vegetable.
Go vegan. That’s the answer to all your health care woes, all your waistline expansion dilemmas and the answer to premature aging issues. I wish the Obamas would go vegan but at least he’s not a big fat pig chocking on rotting carcasses all day like the Bush Cheney machine. I mean Cheney has a mechanical heart! Hello!! This country is full of petty jealous babies that cannot stand anyone smarter, thinner or more sophisticated than they are. Which leaves just about everything in existence including rocks. I think it’s refreshing to have an intelligent slim and trim leader for a change. After all, you are what you eat. Who wants another fathead in office? Now, if he’d just go vegan, he’d be perfect.
Dagmar, you yourself sound like a HATER!
Oh MEOW Caroline!
Let (s)he without flaw cast the first stone. HELLO! We can all do better. He is trying to quit. The trouble with saying he can’t be a valid model of healthy habits only encourages those who struggle overcoming certain stumbling blocks to give up entirely. SOME exercise is better than none, REDUCING smoking is better than continuing a chain smoking habit. BETTER habits produce real health benefits, the goal of course being that some day we’ll reach our ideal fitness level. No one’s claiming he’s Superman.
Why in the world would anyone in their right mind think it would be a good thing to have the government dictating what we can and can’t eat? This is exactly why I will fight against ever implementing universal health care because it is nothing more than a mechanism for the state to dictate complete authoritarian control over all aspects of personal behavior. When they’re picking up the tab for your health care, they will assume the right to tell you what you can and can’t eat and what behaviors you can and can’t engage in.
Maybe he could get the entire country smoking again too. That was a cool era.
My problem isn’t with the fact that Obama smokes or is trying to quit. It’s with labeling him healthy simply because he’s thin. I’m not into demonizing anyone. But it’s crazy when we praise someone who smokes, or is trying to quit, as being physically “healthy.”
Obama is a lot of things. Truly great things. And I hope his efforts to improve American nutrition take root. Goodness knows we need it. We also would do well to emulate his exercise habits.
But there are people who actually smoke to stay thin. I seriously doubt that Obama is one of them. But these people surely exist.
So we need to get the message out that thin is not automatically equivalent to good health. Neither does “overweight” automatically equal poor health. Physical activity, good nutrition, and avoiding toxic substances are the keys to health. If each one of us did these things some of use would lose weight. But any dieter knows exercise alone is not going to make a person lose a lot of weight. You’ve got to restrict your food intake to do that. And most “overweight” people can’t do that for the rest of their lives–or even for a year. Which is why they usually don’t maintain weight loss.
But what most people of all sizes CAN do is exercise moderately (5 days a week, 30 min a day) and eat more fruit and veggies. Imagine how our health would improve if the purpose of exercise was simply to be healthy, not to lose weight. A lot more of us would do it rather than slacking off on our much needed exercise because it “didn’t work” and pounds didn’t melt away. Right now, in our country, way too many people of all sizes, don’t exercise and eat non-nutritive foods. Some of them also abuse tobacco and/or other substances. These behaviors add up to poor health.
Dagmar,
You are dead right. Bunch of jealous people out there, hating on a good smart man who though he’s struggling with a bad habit, is certainly not a “chain-smoker” if they can break down that word to see the meaning. Best thing is, why would I not be surprised if all those haters said they were devout Christians ha ha ha? Meanwhile, wasn’t it Jesus that hang out with the “worst” in society? tax-collectors, prostitutes, wasn’t it Jesus who said “he who has no sin cast the first stone” when all the self-righteous people wanted to stone an adulterer?
So all you Obama haters who think a couple of cigarettes he may sneak when he’s weak (or tired) mean he’s the devil himself and unhealthy, please remember you are embarrassing yourself, and leaning NOT on the Lord’s side. Please. People, quit the hating or quit pretending to be holy.
OMG!!! This is my first visit to this site. If being healthy will put me in company of so many a-holes I would rather be fat, smoke, drink and do drugs. (Not that I do any of those things.)
Darn that smoking, liberal, underweight, BLACK…yes BLACK Obama. Isn’t that really the problem with all you white superior conservative all pure-anglo americans? Sometimes I wish you had gotten another 8 years of Bush. That would have certainly wash lilly-white America down the drain and the rest of the world could go on tryng to co-exist.
I think it is so fickle and hypocritical to read anything about the president’s weight or his eating habits. He was called an elitist when it was learned he ate arugala salads. They made fun of him for drinking herbal tea. When he ordered a tuna salad sandwich without the mayo, someone said yuck. I just don’t understand any of this. Ridiculous!
These remarks are absolutely ridiculous..LMAO!!!
especially the HATER who will go as far as to stop their subscription to health magazine…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….
Really? This article is another way to recycle the same information put out over and over and over again. it doesn’t account for the driving force behind obesity which is poverty. It would be all well and good if everyone could buy organic and eat pistachios, protein bars, tea, broccoli, spinach, and shrimp, but it takes more than desire. I think people should be reading the excellent article by Michael Pollan to the next Farmer in Chief on how Obama can really help with what is turning into an actual food and nutrition crisis at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html
Why should the president do anything about obesity? It has become second nature for us to assume when there’s a problem, that our government should fix it. But guess what? The government can only do that (or try to do that) by limiting our freedoms. It’s not right. Most people can learn to be healthy, but it takes self discipline, not another law by congress, or a presidential decree…
So now we want the government to tell us what we can and cannot eat too? Is there no end to the government running our lives?
maybe someone should tell obama to quit smoking!
Ok, there we go Francisco, this is all about race. It was only a matter of time before some idiot brought up race. Can’t talk about the issues, or what he stands for, what his policies are or the fact that people are acting like he’s the messiah. Nah, none of that. It’s just got to be all about race. Ya got to just play that card again!!! Don’t you think it’s time to get over it??
put down the kool-aid lefties – obama is a nobody at best – a lying muslim communist most probably – you dont even know who you voted for! – and you want to model your kids after obama :-0 ?
why not model the kids after farakan, ayers or rezco? or why stop at that level of stupidity – why not model your kids after osama? you know you want to ;-)
WAHHHH we lost the election *snort* *drool*
Obama muslim terrist *fart* *wheeze*
my friend’s sister’s fat cousin’s roommate in the SECRET SERVICE says!! *hurf durf* *mild stroke*
Obama voters are RUINING THIS COUNTRY *drool* *fart* *eats more bacon*
Smoking is NOT HEALTHY but don’t you DARE tell me to stop eating eight quarter-pounders it’s my GODGIVEN AMERICAN RITE!!!! THINK OF MY OBESE CHILDREN *wheeze* *heart attack* *drinks more Mountain Dew*
Just so long as he avoids the pretzels!
alright, people, please take a deep breath and know that HE IS NOT A SMOKER, as it happens HE QUIT.
I read, Obama (or should it be: O’Bama? Heard the Irish adopted him) is cooking Indonesian food himself. Now I am wondering how he can make a decent gado-gado in the US. American peanut butter, at least the one you can buy in Europe, consists mainly of sugar with peanuts obviously only painted on the jar. Thus, it’s chiefly an emblem for overweight and for cooking you have to procure Dutch “pindakaas”, which is definitely more complicated.
Francisco, you are clearly a racist!
Hey… next time you’re shoving a Big Mac in your mouth… tell yourself it’s okay because hey, at least you don’t smoke like Obama (did before he quit)… right? These eating tips must lose all their validity because of that, right?
Yes, yes… go ahead and tell yourself that.
(I’m being sarcastic folks.)
I thought the article was about unprocessed and organic food and the need to revisit the way we grow and process our food. I think Obama is ahead of the curve when it comes to these issues. It appears there are many still in denial of industrial farming and the damage it is doing to us as a people and the environment in general.
Obama a “chain smoker”, where did that come from. As an ex smoker I understand the difficulties in trying to quite.
I also believe that obesity is the number one health issue in the United States with smoking coming in second. My suggestion and experience shows me, the best way to quit smoking is to spend an hour on the tread mill each day. Kinda puts a different perspective on things.
Dear Confused1,
You may eat anything you want, but all food should be organic. We are organic beings. You may choose sickness at any time.
Unfortunately we as a society still fail to understand that we should in no way try to emulate other humans. The greatest QUEST in this life is to Follow JESUS. Mark and Mointor your own steps and success shall be yours.
Obviously, reading and doing research is not a strong suit for most of the commentors on this thread.
Obama stopped smoking more than two years ago. What about that, don’t some of you understand? Or, do you need something, anything to criticize the new President about?
Ron, I’d love to know what your source is that proves without a doubt that Obama “stopped smoking more than two years ago?”
And there are still plenty of other things to criticize him about other than the fact that he has not really QUIT smoking bc, as other comments on htis thread indicate, even he himself has “slipped up” which means he has clearly not smoked. You can not be a non-smoker and still smoke even if it is just every once in a while.
This article, while maybe sending the wrong message by portraying Obama as the healthiest of men, is about ways his policies can improve this country’s diet. Let’s try to focus on that, instead of arguing about whether or not the man smokes, which is ultimately his battle to fight.
Unfortunately, as the article mentioned, it’s likely these issues will be put on the back burner, anyway. :/
Dear Anti-Obama/Anti-Americans, Clearly the President is a wonderful example for middle-aged Americans to follow! If you smoke-QUIT! If you don’t exercise–START! If you are overweight–DIET! And also remember to–SMILE! We are a blessed people living in the greatest nation in the history of the World! Finally, President Obama is thought of negatively by a paltry 17% of the US population–interestingly, that is about the same number as those Americans suffering from mental illness! Take your Med’s and support our Prez!
–Rammer
Please please you white haters, give the black man a chance. So much vile spurts from you guys it ain’t funny no more. I am convinced that a black sister or brother would NEVER diss our beloved prez like that. STOP IT!!! HE IS President Barack Obama for the next 8 yrs and there is nothing you can do about it so SUSH
Cynthia, just like your fellow ignoramus Fransisco, you to are clearly racist. MOST of those who didn’t vote for Obama have very valid reasons for it – NONE of which have ANYTHING to do with the fact that he is HALF-black!
He either must have brought you A LOT of hope or you are too ignorant to know that he is not the president “for the next 8 yrs” because in 4 years he has to run again and those of us who see him for the lefty socialist he really is have the opportunity to elect someone else.
Rammer, did you feel that we are “blessed people living in the greatest nation on earth” back when Bush was in office or is it only now that Obama is president?
Caroline, were in a coma the last 8 years? Or maybe you need some glasses?
Mr. President Obama is referenced as the president for the next 8 years because he’s going to do a great job and hopefully fix all the problems that were created by that ignorant lil’ puppet and the evil puppet master, cheney.
Caroline get a JOB. And Cynthia is correct we plan to re-elect him again. And the majority won this time and shall the next.
To you who doesn’t even have the guts to say his or her name: I have an excellent, well-paying job and I am quite good at it. Who do you think is paying for your tax refund that you don’t deserve because you probably don’t even make enough to pay into the federal tax system in the first place? (That’s that whole “wealth-spreading” thing that Obama has been talking about.)
And Cynthia did not say he was going to be re-elected, she just made an assumption that he will be president for the next 8 years. But I worry not about his being re-elected because I am confident that his liberal agenda–and however much of it he actually gets passed by his buddies in Congress–will be his downfall come 2012. Now that he actually has to DO something, he will fail because he hasn’t ever accomplished anything before. Do you care to list any of his accomplishments from before he was elected? You’ll have to try very hard because he doesn’t have any!
To most of you, could you please try reading? A great deal of news literature supports the fact that Obama has largely quit smoking, although being human, he himself has stated that he has “slipped up”. Sliiping up and smoking a cigarette does not make him a chain smoker.
To Caroline right above, I believed this was the greatest nation on earth with the greatest promise but that our government was not the greatest on earth. I’m not sure I can say our government is now the greatest on earth after a week of Obama’s administration, but I for one, like having a truly intelligent person as my president.
I am not sure why my response to ***** did not get posted but as I wanted to say, I do have a job and i get paid well and it is people like myself who are going to give you your tax refund because you probably don’t even make enough to pay into it…you know Obama’s whole “spreading the wealth around” philosophy…it worked so well in the USSR, didn’t it? And North Korea, South Vietnam, Cuba…yay Marxism!
And Cynthia did not say that he would be re-elected in 2012 but made an assumption that he will be president for the next 8 years.
Sameer, was a president who attended both Yale (and got better grades than John Kerry) AND Harvard Business School not “intelligent” enough for you? Or do you just believe the mainstream media when they portrayed Bush as just a dumb cowboy? Obviously you must since you believe “news literature” that he actually quit…no one really knows for sure but I am doubtful that he has (especially since he himself has admitted to slipping up).
The subject matter of this article is just too important for petty sniping. Please grow up and focus on your own bad habits before snarking about the bad habits of someone else.
The problems we Americans face regarding our food supply are many and monumental. Greed and corruption own and operate the FDA and that attitude has trickled down to almost every manufacturer: most current examples being the peanut butter scandal and now the mercury tainted high fructose corn syrup we feed to ourselves and our babies every day. Add to those woes our country’s forced addictions to monosodium glutamate in all its myriad forms and to aspartame, another poisonous concoction unleashed on the public by our illustrious government officials.
Whether Barack Obama has a smoke now and again is not an issue for me. He should legalize pot and smoke that instead with the pressures he’s under. We’d all be happier campers too.
I wonder why all of a sudden my posts are not being put up on this website? So people can say those who aren’t fans of obama are racists but I can’t defend myself against such accusations?
I think it is time to cancel my subscription to “Health” magazine!
Sameer, is a president who went to Yale (and got better grades than John Kerry) and Harvard business school not “intelligent” enough for you or do you just follow the liberal media line that Bush was a dumb ol’ cowboy? You probably do if you believe “news literature” that Obama has “largely quit smoking.” What does that mean anyway? You either QUIT entirely and dont smoke anymore or you are STILL a smoker, regardless of how frequently you do it.
Require all products with HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP to be labeled honestly so that it can be avoided.
“largely quit smoking” means that he used to smoke alot and not he only smokers rarely. I think that’s an important distinction. For example, I used to smoke a bout a pack per week until last January. I have had maybe 1 pack since then – mostly at a bachelor party last May. Am I a “pack a year” smoker? No,I quit smoking.
I think there are some commenters here implying (or even outright saying directly) that Obama is still regular smoker. Obama is not a smoker. And getting back to the article – he eats nutritious foods and exercises regularly. These are habits the rest of us should follow.
I am sooo furious on teh intarwebs HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST THAT I DON’T WORK *moderate furiously on fundamentalist christian forums* *breathe heavily*
Post your full real name you cowards, I put my first name that is TRUE AMERICAN BRAVERY *sweat* *burp*
DANG SOCIALISTS next they’ll try to create some sort of LIBERALIST Bureau controlling the quality of food and drugs I FOR ONE LIKE HAVING DEAD RATS IN MY FOOD *inhale Doritos* *wipe Dorito dust on sweat-stained t-shirt*
HOW DARE THE PRESIDENT NOT BE PERFECT and Bush was very intelligent that is why he knows that nuclear is correctly pronounced NUKULAR and bankrupted three businesses make that four including the USA I for one think that is BRILLIANT amirite guyz??? *scratch self* *fart*
I LIKE TO ARGUE POINTLESSLY ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE NO ONE IN REAL LIFE EVER TALKS TO ME OH GOD I AM A DISGUSTING WHINY GREASE-SMEARED LANDWHALE *wheeze* *sob*
*cancel subscription to Health magazine*
NOW PLEASE EXCUSE ME I HAVE TINFOIL HATS TO MAKE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY TO PROTECT THEIR BRAINS FROM BEING INVADED BY THE PENETRATING INFRA-RAYS OF THE LIBERAL AGENDA
NEVER FORGET Y2K
Clearly this is no longer about health an diet…He is now (our) “President of The United States of America”! Who cares if he smokes or not, you like the article, great! you don’t? then move on, there are more important issues right now like the economy! As long as he’s a good leader (which he has yet to show us) then it shouldn’t matter if he’s black,white, brown, yellow, green or red! Just get the job done! Bitterness never gets us anywhere.
I agree with Mitch Paddock. Until he quits smoking 100%, he’s not going to be the greatest example. I voted for him and think he is off to a great start in the Presidency, but he needs to quit smoking right now!!!
Hey-I’d be happy to take one of those subscriptions to Health magazine you self righteous, simpleminded jerks are giving up.
We have so many dumb fat lazy people in this country, particularly throughout middle-america and the south. It is refreshing to see a president who not only eats well but exercises vigorously and regularly. Obama starts every morning with an intense cardio and/or weightlifting workout. Yes he used to smoke about 1 pack PER WEEK. On a bad day he would smoke about 7 cigarettes. Most smokers I know are at a pack a day or more. At a pack per week, it certainly isn’t healthy but its far from being a regular smoker and in any case he’s quit. Much better than guys like Schwarzenegger who tout themselves as fitness role models yet pump themselves full of anabolic steroids (oh and he smokes too). My guess is most of the people on here whining are just lazy fat middle-american slugs.
I really think this whole answer session is quite small.
Smoking.. that’s what you want to talk about.. It should be a personal choice. Anti-smoking is paid for by conglomerates to hide the fact that cancer is caused by radiation and poison. Seventy five years ago before nuclear testing and processed foods smokers smoked without filters and never got cancer. Get a life and leave mine and his alone.
This country has always loved smoking, the capitols of the White House have tobacco leaves as decoration. President Obama is moving in the right direction, we are not being protected by FDA but giving them more money for testing is not going to help the situation. That unit should and will be replaced in time.
It was an article about healthy eating habits people.
They did not hold him up as a role model..They were pointing out he tries to eat healthy. If they were saying he is the golden goose and we all need to look like him, they would be wrong, if they said we all need to act like him, also wrong. They were merely suggesting that if we pick up a few of his EATING habits we will benefit, just as he does. People get a life, these responses are so immature it makes me sick. I give Obama credit for not smoking in public during his campaign, can you only imagine the hate filled mongers out there who would have jumped on that band wagon. Each and every one of us would benefit from tuna with no mayo, fresh fruits and veggies and water. That is what the article is promoting.
Wow! I’m appalled at the ignorance of the American people as revealed in these comments. The Internet, it seems, is a place where hearsay becomes truth.
Ah, but he did not get better grades than Barack Obama. From what I’ve read he was scoring somewhere in the C range. Also, a family member as an alumnus is a major boost for Ivy League schools (another reason why I don’t hold them that highly), something EX-President George W. Bush had. Man, I love writing Ex-President.
Bush’s idiocy in more practical matters is also more important to me than his grades at Yale. I don’t need the media to make a judgement that he’s a moron.
This argument over what defines a smoker is based on technicality and personal definitions, which will not change. The point of the article is his healthy eating habits. I am of the belief that he is not a smoker in the traditional sense, meaning he does not smoke daily, although by his own admission, he does smoke rarely.
Suddenly the man is a chain-smoker! No he isn’t and although he does not smoke in public – he chews a lot of gum – he is trying to give up smoking. I’m glad all the holier than thous out there think smoking is so bad and people who do it are ‘bad’. Good grief. Giving up smoking is not easy. People who smoke like it – that’s why they do it. Kudos to those who have succeeded and kudos to those who are trying. Boy so much self-righteousness.
There is no telling how much health care costs in the U.S. could be reduced by taxing unhealthy foods (which are cheap now) and subsidizing healthy foods (which in many cases are not that cheap now). Also intensive healthy nutritional education all through grades K-12 and federal standards emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables in school and college cafeterias is a must.
Reggie Reeder…I’m with you. We don’t teach kids finance or basic accounting to handle a check book in school. Our food is so process and manipulated that we might as well be eating cardboard because that is all we are getting is celulose.
Obama is on the right track. If some want to kill them selves with the crap that gets served up…more power to them. It is one way to help solve the overpopulation of this planet. Eat more folks, smoke all you want…just do us all a favor and die early and have your own health care.
Seems harsh but I am tired of arguing with idots.
@Mitch Paddock:
How have you missed the extensive coverage of his athleticism? He’s putting a basketball court in at the White House for goodness sakes!
it doesnt take a rocket (nutrition)scientist to figure out that obesity /smoking are taking a big chunk out of the health budget.Addittional Taxes on fast food seems to be a step in the right direction & can fund /subsidise the healthier alternatives.
Your not listening guys. Read this before you bring smoking into this again. This link is the second hand smoking part, there is a lot more on the smoking lies.
http://www.forces.org/evidence/evid/second.htm
Stick to the foods we are being forced to eat and drink.
Caroline, if ever there was a perfect advertisement for unappealing, shrill right-wing nuts, you would get the job! Keep up the good work, girl. As long as folks like you continue to make us laugh until the milk shoots out of our noses, we will be guaranteed a rollicking good time and an 8-year term for President Obama.
This is hilarious!
Why don’t you all be honest and say that your real problem is that you don’t like Obama as president.
I’m not even from your country, and even I can see that’s what the issue is.
I don’t like smoking either. I think it’s a disgusting habit. But it seems he’s quit.
Besides which, if you’re Republicans, you’re probably supportive of hunting and various other disgusting passtimes.
He changed it yesterday in a big way – he forced us to eat pork, and at the same time reduced our grocery budget significantly with his wasteful ’stimulus’ tax bill
Dont you think excessive pampering would spoil this nice man?
jeebusmaryandjosepfh! – PLEASE STOP EATING SHRIMP! Shrimping is one of the single most destructive things humans do in this world. Please STOP! I beg you all to look into this, PLEASE!
how about obama stays out of my kitchen and plate?
Fun! Obama Diet, can’t be worse than the McDonalds diet right??
I mean Americans were super fit before he became president and now that he is… ooo-wee! We are all going to be lil Kate Mosses.
Obama ‘12
Did anyone read the entire article? I am sure Health magazine did not say emulate Pres. Obama, and I know for a fact that Health mag did not encourage readers to smoke.
Can’t call some one “weak willed” when you removed/ cancel your subscrption to Health mag because you might feel compelled (by this one article) to smoke.
Ha, damn thats funny
Wow, there’s really a lot of haters, on both sides. If the man is healthy, and trying to live right, then I applaud him. Smoking is a horrible habit. My dad died a slow horrible death because of a lifetime of smoking. I pray that Obama can quit and stay off that nasty habit. As for him being black..really? is he? omg..I never noticed? You really think white people didn’t vote for him? Everyone I know just about did. How bout we get of the race thing, the messiah thing, and the anti-christ thing. He’s a man..and he has shortcomings just the same as the rest of us. Stop judging the man. If he’s living right, then good for him. If not, I hope he sees the error of his ways and starts doing so.
Wow! That was the most vitrolic diatribe from
some “posters”. It was an article on eating healthier not a social commentary. I used to smoke
and I hope he can completely quit but my extra
pounds and lack of exercise are causing more problems. Let’s all relax and pull together for better health and wealth.
WOW -I think the article has a lot of good ideas. But reading the various comments make me realize the intellectual level that put George Bush in office for eight years.
I’m anxious to see if he supports organic foods and tries to get healthier food in the schools, and get rid of genetically engineered foods. It would be even better if he stressed how harmful eating junk food, and eating at fast food places can be.
I’m still waiting for the whole world to be vegetarian. I agree with Will Tuttle in his book”The World Peace Diet” as well as many books by Michio Kushi and George Ohsawa, that peace will come when we all eat vegetarian. I’m amazed how much longer people live in Japan where they don’t have dairy products in their diet and where they have grains in their meals daily, and I’m so sorry to see the USA as being in about 43rd place when it comes to the country that has the healthiest people, but first place when it comes to how much people spend on health care. We’re also probably in first place for fighting the most wars at once. Peace and healthy diets go together.
i think obama will kick this habit he kinda has to.Too what all of you are saying makies no since i think you just need to leavae obama alone…..
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