Past Presidents’ Physicals: What We Know So Far

CNN looked at old reports from physical exams of former presidents. These reports usually include basic information like height, weight, and blood pressure. But they also include details like how Obama’s doctor removed a skin tag, how George H. W. Bush’s doctor drained a cyst on his finger, and how Gerald Ford’s doctor pushed for a swimming pool at the White House.

Presidential candidates aren’t required to share the results of their medical exam, but Jackson did so during a meeting on Tuesday and said on Friday that Trump was in “excellent health.”

Here is a look at how healthy past leaders were based on the exams they had.

In July 1976, Ford had another physical. During this visit, his doctor said, “He has had no complaints … other than mild discomfort in his knee following periods of prolonged standing. The President has maintained his physical capacity for long working hours. He sleeps very well and continues to follow his diet and weighs between 195 and 198 pounds.”

Ford’s doctor wrote in 1975 that “the completion of the new White House swimming pool will provide him with short intervals for relaxation that can easily be fitted into his busy schedule.”

“I would like to take the time to acknowledge those citizens who, by their contributions, make a swimming pool available for the President in the White House,” Dr. William Lukash said at a press meeting in January 1976. “I might add that the President was reluctant to use the pool during the winter months because of his concern about energy conservation. I spoke to him about this and felt it was to his advantage to have the use of this pool because I thought it would be an improvement in his sense of well-being and make him more conducive to his feeling better the next day. … The President swims approximately 24 lengths of the pool, which adds up to about a quarter of a mile, and he does this in about 14 minutes.”

Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989

Bush’s press assistant said in a statement that a “sebaceous cyst on the third finger of his left hand was drained. The President is wearing a Band-Aid on the finger, which he can remove within the next few hours. This cyst has been present for many years and does not present a medical problem.”

“In excellent health,” Reagan was told by the White House physician after being checked out by 14 experts in October 1981. Notably, he said that the president had “fully recovered” from the gunshot wounds he got in March 1981 during an attempt on his life.

Related Posts

From 450kg to a New Life: Paul Mason’s Six-Year Transformation Fueled by Love

Six years ago, Paul Mason’s future seemed bleak. Weighing nearly 450 kilograms, he was considered one of the heaviest people in the world. Cut off from the…

When a person keeps coming back to your mind: possible emotional and psychological reasons

Has it ever happened to you a person to keep popping into your head even when you’re not trying to think about them? You can be busy…

when I lost my newborn, my mother-in-law smiled — Until my 8-yer-ols son asked a question

I got to hold my newborn in my hands for barely an hour. He was the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen, and then he was gone,…

Children born between 1980 and 1999: Understanding them better through Carl Jung’s psychology

Some generations grow up during times that are relatively calm while others come into the world when familiar structures begin to loosen and the ground beneath them…

Tiny Newborns, Big Hope: A Rare Species Finds Its Way Back

At first glance, the scene felt almost unbelievable. Tucked inside a nest within a protected wildlife reserve in Australia were tiny, spiky newborn creatures so unusual that…

Quiet Ice, Real Risk: What to Know as Winter Weather Moves In

A fast-changing winter system is settling into the Mid-Atlantic, bringing conditions that can turn risky before they look serious. Light freezing rain and icy drizzle don’t always announce…