5 Lessons You Can Learn From President Obama’s Healthy Lifestyle

It's amazing to me that MyHeartCentral would be focusing on Obama's health and using him as an example!  His smoking is a bad example and using him as a role model in terms of living a healthy lifestyle is a farce! I can think of many other prominent figures that are a better role model for young and old ones to follow!

While he undoubtedly embraces a healthy lifestyle, how do you account for the Smoking??

Melanie must be another one of these brainwashed Obama cult followers to allow her adulation of him to have a negative impact on her job performance. Obama smokes cigarettes, and she are promoting his lifestyle to your readers. Get a brain. Also where is the editorial supervision at Health Central? Any sane editor would have stopped this kind of nonsense from being published.

I can't believe I am reading this on a site dedicated to heart health!  Obama smokes ~ one of the top things NOT to do if one wants to have a healthy heart for life.  Smoking is not just harmful to him, but to others.  I'm one of the multitude who suffer asthma attacks from second-hand smoke, & now I have to see a smoker applauded on this site for his 'healthy' lifestyle?  It was bad enough to see TV interviews of him, cigarette in hand, while he smiled & told the reporter he hasn't been able to quit.  This is a startling sign of weakness from a powerful leader.  All these young people who idolize him ~ the man who will 'change the world' ~ now have an example of the President smoking.  How is this going to help them?  They applaud & mimic everything he does or says.  We fought long & hard to get smoking off the TV ads & out of movies, etc that young people watch.  Now he comes in & blows smoke at us.  PLEASE retract this article, it is NOT up to the standards I expect from healthcentral!

Melanie, you are supposed to be an "Expert"...  How can you ignore the smoking issue!  That's all I could think about as I was reading your article.  He is damaging his health no matter his excercise and dietary practices.  It's a fact that smokers contribute greatly to the overall cost of healthcare in this nation.  Oh, I forgot, we will have national healthcare to take care of that. 

Can I ever get away from this Obama baloney.

He SMOKES!! How is that a healthy lifestyle?

Just imagine how healthy he would be, and make a better role model for others, IF HE DIDN'T SMOKE.

or do our past stay with us forever? stoning the guy for his past foibles is so unrealistic. he doesn't smoke anymore, he quit. does that count? it's obvious the guy's fit. and unless you're jesus or some such saint who is supposedly divine and perfect, i'd suggest folks lighten up, put things in context, and stop blowing things out of proportion.

back to the real world,

theo

I would think smoking cancels out a healthy lifestyle.

What you report makes sense; but how about the fact you neglect to include, that Obama is a regular smoker of cigarettes? That fact alone negates much of the rest that he does do. On balance, I'd say that, as president, George W. Bush had a pretty healthy lifestyle, including both his exercise and diet, that probably is better than Obama's, if for no other reason than Bush is a non-smoker.

What about his blue lips?  Could it be from the lack of oxygen from smoking?  Smoking removes the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet.  He is not a healthy role model!  

People like myself have had to avoid public places including outdoor events because of this nasty inconsiderate habit of smoking.  The fastest way to make me to have to reach for my rescue inhaler is a smoker in the area.  At least fat out of shape people do not make me wheeze and cough unless they are wearing a ton of perfume.

My grandfather was fit but died of a heart attack at age 49 because of being a smoker.  His son died at 60 years old because of smoking.  My non-smoking mom and the oldest is still healthy at 76.  Her sister died at 72 because of obesity.  My point is smoking is worst than fat.

What about his blue lips?  Could it be from the lack of oxygen from smoking?  Smoking removes the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet.  He is not a healthy role model!  

People like myself have had to avoid public places including outdoor events because of this nasty inconsiderate habit of smoking.  The fastest way to make me to have to reach for my rescue inhaler is a smoker in the area.  At least fat out of shape people do not make me wheeze and cough unless they are wearing a ton of perfume.

My grandfather was fit but died of a heart attack at age 49 because of being a smoker.  His son died at 60 years old because of smoking.  My non-smoking mom and the oldest is still healthy at 76.  Her sister died at 72 because of obesity.  My point is smoking is worst than fat.

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Obama no doubt looks in a fine fettle to all appearances. Can that be said for most of the Americans, who happen to be obese and suffer from a number of diseases because of their over indulgence in partaking of junk foods and physical inactivity? Of course smoking is a fault too many where good health is concerned. But let us not detract from the fact that the apparently fit President is following all the other medically recommended physical exercise routine and food habits. His is a perfect example to follow to remain in good health, apart from his bad habit of smoking. You would agree that in order to follow any exercise routine and develop good eating habits one has to have will power and disciplined mind. Should Obama decide to give up smoking, -- and your well-meant criticism should in fact goad him on to that end – he is bound to succeed where you and I will fail. And it must be said that your unwarranted criticism of the author is entirely out of context and trifle unfair for her having  highlighted few virtues Obama practices to remain in good health. I am a foreigner and as such can’t be accused of suffering from some bias or motive in upholding Obama routine and eating habits as almost positive. And do pardon me if I happen to admire him for his unique abilities, sincerity of purpose and keeping good health, like most in the rest of the world.

How can you seriously hold this guy up as a role model when he smokes? I think this is another example of Obamamania in the media. Get real. Look at all the facts before telling people how great this guy is.

He is not as physically fit as he could be because he smokes and that is not a good role model for our next generation of kids.  That important health issue is not brought up most of the time as something he will change. What are his plans on this major issue???

You know, I'm really tired of the basing Obama is still getting.  Get over it.  He is the President.  Give him the respect he deserves.  So you might not of voted for him.  He's in there now.  Give him a chance to do some good.  You haven't even given him a chance.  As for his smoking--how do you know he is not trying.  I too have asthma  but I don't go around condemming the smokers for it.  YEs it's a nasty habit but do you not have a habit you wish you could get over?  It takes time and it is hard.  I support the President and if he is still smoking, I'm sure he knows how bad it is.  And give our kids more credit.  They know that smoking is bad for you.  They get that preached to them in health class.  But give Obama credit for the exercise he does do and the healthy eating habits he does have.  I'm sure he would be the first to tell kids don't follow his bad habit of smoking.  I personally like to be able to talk to him one on one about the healthy habits he does have.

Thank you all for your very spirited responses in answer to my article!

Let me assure you I have no political reasons for posting on this topic, I simply wanted to use a very famous figure as an illustration.

I am under no delusions that he leads the perfect life, but really do any of us? I simply feel there are areas of his eating and exercise habits that we can draw from as an example.

Concerning his smoking habits, I am under the impression that he has given up. Of course I cannot be sure, but he has discussed this in interviews, commenting that his wife is in support of this, and he is taking the appropriate measure to quit (ie smoking cessation gum).

I think it is rather unfair to say he is not 'healthy' because of a previous habit, it seems to me that he is trying, and perhaps failing at times too, but isn't that just like the rest of us?

Kind regards,

Melanie Thomassian
Registered Dietitian