Would You Vote For Obama If He Was Obese?

I'm extremely curious about what you think about this issue. I was trying to think back to a time when we had an obese president. I couldn't. Let me just say that I am terrible at history but my husband, who is excellent, thinks the last rotund president was Hoover. That was 1930 and when I looked up images of Hoover, he didn't look obese to me.

So my question to you is; if everything else was the same, except that Obama was obese, would you vote for him? If he had a significant weight problem, would it affect your feelings toward him? Would those feelings influence your vote and why?

As an eating disorder therapist, I am in the trenches with people who battle their weight everyday. I also live in Los Angeles, aka Hollywood. Here I believe there is more than the normal amount of importance placed upon looks and specifically, weight. We cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as our governor, after all. He looks good on camera, seems to know his lines and, well, he's Conan the Barbarian! Who else would we want in office?

I remember clearly seeing Bill Clinton jogging with the Secret Service when he was in office. He gained some weight during his Presidency and had to work to keep it down. He was never significantly overweight though and certainly never obese. Funny, but I can't think of one image of Hillary in workout wear.

When it comes to Obama, he has many things going for him. The fact that he is young and fit, certainly play into his appeal. I have seen many images of Barack playing basketball on the campaign trail. I think he wants us to see that he is fit and ready to lead. But what if he was fat and everything else about him was the same? Would he have even gotten the nomination? If he did get the nomination, would he beat McCain? I'm curious about what you think. Let me know.

If you would like to participate in the research for Irene's new book about the process of weight loss, please go to http://www.eatingdisordertherapist.com/ and take the survey.

Comments

[gfk]

This is interesting. I've never even thought about this before. I do think my feelings toward Obama would change if he was obese but not if he were just a few pounds overweight. I want to know that our next President can at least take good care of himself.

[blaqntelligence]

If Senator Obama, the great orator, the brilliant strategist, the loving husband, the good dad carried a few extra pounds, I could care less.
Does he have a plan for the mess this band of thugs will leave behind? That is the overriding question.
Plus, if Michelle like it, I love it.

[benjaminblue]

Size doesn't matter that much. I wouldn't have voted for Mike Huckabee when he was at his heaviest, but I wouldn't vote for him when he lost weight, either. He was disgusting, either way. For me, when it comes to politics, it's about ideas, ideals and integrity.

[HVW]

I agree that ideas, ideals and integrity are most important. However, if he/she was very overweight/obese, the heavy and demanding responsibilities of being the president would only exascerbate the multiple health issues that accompany obesity. Being the president is difficult enough even for those in "good physical shape."

[Parducci]

I don't think I'd want a fat president. Here's a question back at you: would Al Gore have gotten so chunky if he had been elected president or would he have had to keep the pounds off to keep his job?