Can We Stop Judging People on Their Weight?

It’s back. Weight talk about the U.S. President has returned, with reporters judging whether President Donald Trump’s reduced weight came “the hard way” or with “help.” The Daily Beast writes:

“In the White House, there are whispers that the new slimline Trump used a little pharmaceutical help to lose 20 lbs since his last presidential physical in 2020. The 6-ft-2-in (officially) calorie cutter-in-chief weighs in now at 224 lbs (officially) down from a high of 254 lbs (unofficially). That’s a 12 percent loss of body weight.”

And then, in another corner of the administration, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is saying “troops need to be fit not fat.” So the department looking into the possibility that standards have dropped and there’s too much fatness in the military and its leaders.

Obesity and Overweight in Military Reserves

Obesity and overweight is present in two-thirds of military reserve personnel. A new report this week describes the situation. Obesity and its associated conditions, many of which may prevent or delay deployment, play a major role in limiting reserve readiness, says the report:

“Medical readiness is a serious issue for the National Guard and reserves due to challenges with health insurance and access to care.”

In short, when obesity and overweight is a fact for nearly three-quarters of the population, it’s going to be tough to maintain an adequate force size free from concerns about obesity. Leaving obesity untreated has effects that ripple through our nation and into the military.

Hegseth is discovering something that is already obvious to anyone who is paying attention.

Cut It Out

Honestly though, it’s time to move on from judging people based on the appearance of their weight and what they might or might not have done about it. Obesity Action Coalition President Joe Nadglowski sums it up:

“We don’t need to be picking on people about their weight, whether they’re a soldier or president. It’s that simple.”

Such talk is tiresome and unhelpful. Instead, we should be working to ensure that everyone with concerns about obesity can get the care they need to deal with it. Right now, that’s out of reach for most of us.

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and the Easter Bunny, White House photograph by Daniel Torok / flickr

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April 25, 2025