Former President Trump has spoken for the first time about his drastic weight loss, claiming he has lost about 20 pounds this campaign cycle.
Trump – whose love of fast food is well documented – has appeared much slimmer in recent months, prompting speculation that he is taking weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy.
But the 77-year-old’s explanation for his dramatic physical change was more traditional. He told Fox News‘ Brian Kilmeade: ‘(I did it) the hard way. I work.’
Trump, the favorite for the Republican nominee for president, said he was in “fighting shape” and had lost between 15 and 20 pounds since the start of the campaign.
But health experts have told DailyMail.com in recent weeks that Mr Trump appears weaker, more confused and prone to blunders than usual amid tough legal battles – which could be linked to his sudden weight loss.
Trump is pictured playing golf in September 2022, where he was noticeably taller
As of August 2023, Trump is visibly slimmer and looks more rested
Trump was interviewed by Fox News on Trump Force One on Monday.
He said: ‘I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to eat much. I can’t sit down and eat like someone like you – you can sit down and eat. Me, it’s a little bit harder.’
Dr. Carolyn Williams, a registered dietitian from Alabama, told DailyMail.com that it definitely appears Trump has lost fat — especially the bad kind that causes health problems.
“He has lost some weight, especially in the abdominal area where visceral fat is stored,” she said.
Visceral fat is stored in the abdomen and surrounds vital organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines. Having too much of it has been linked to a litany of health problems, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
But her assessment was not entirely positive.
Dr. Williams added: “What is less clear is how healthy his approach is to losing and maintaining this weight.
‘Skipping meals due to planning and/or stress is not a long-term solution. If this is the case, he’s likely missing out on some important nutrients – such as fiber, potassium, calcium and vitamin D – in his diet unless he focuses on nutrient-dense foods when he finds time for a meal.”
Dr. Stuart Fischer, a New York City-based internal medicine physician, told DailyMail.com that the weight loss could be an indication of overexertion.
He said: ‘In a way he is competing with his older self from many years ago. He cannot convince anyone that he is a paragon of health, nor should he try to convince people that he is as fit as he used to be.”
The former president’s fondness for fast food is known around the world. He told Fox News that due to his busy schedule he doesn’t have time to eat like a normal person would, but did not reveal what his diet consists of.
Most recently, Trump repeatedly confused Nikki Haley, his only remaining Republican primary challenger, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the lawmakers trapped in the Capitol when his supporters stormed the building in 2021.
At a rally in Concord, New Hampshire, Trump said: “By the way, you know, they never report the crowd on January 6th. You know, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley, you know them, you know they destroyed all the information, all the evidence, everything, destroyed everything? And all because of a lot of things, like Nikki Haley, who is in charge of security. We offered her 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guard, whatever they wanted. They turned it down.”
Mrs. Haley was in South Carolina on January 6.
Dr. Williams said that while his recent stumbles could not necessarily be linked to poor eating habits, “most have probably noticed in the past that their cognition and memory skills do not work optimally when blood sugar levels are low or when their body is lacking important energy.” and important nutrients.
“When you combine the high levels of stress he’s probably experiencing from his trial and the election trail, it’s likely that his diet may not be helping him.”
His weight was reportedly helped thanks to his wife Melania, who insiders say helps him eat healthier and avoid the Mar-a-Lago dessert buffet.
Dr. Daniel Rosen, a New York-based bariatric surgeon, told DailyMail.com: ‘There’s also the stress of being indicted on four separate counts on 91 counts. The extreme stress of something like this is worth considering. Stress can lead to weight loss in some people.’
Last fall, Trump’s New Jersey doctor Bruce Aronwald gave a positive but vague assessment of the former president’s health. call it ‘excellent’adding that he recently lost weight through “improved nutrition” and “daily physical activity.”
But the report did not mention his weight, blood pressure, what medications he was taking, his cholesterol, or even how much weight he had lost.
While Trump may be in “fighting shape” physically, recent blunders and nonsensical statements during his campaign have fueled concerns about his cognitive skills.
Dr. Fischer added, “He’s pushing himself a little too hard. When you’re on this source of frenetic energy and you’re not even close to the goal line of the race, you have to pace yourself.”
At a rally on Saturday in the Granite State, Trump had difficulty pronouncing the word “climate” and instead stuck with the word “climate” when talking about electric vehicles: “They don’t work well in cold weather… it is definitely not great for your climate. Your climate. They call it climate.’
And at a rally Monday in Laconia, New Hampshire, Trump garbled his words and struggled to get a sentence out as he pronounced, “We have become a drug-ridden, crime-ridden nation incapable of even the most swollen – smallest problem.
‘We are an institution for strong capital punishment. We’ll put this on.’
Trump’s mistakes in New Hampshire were the latest of several this election cycle. During a Veterans Day event, Trump referred to former President Barack Obama as the “current president.”
Trump has railed against attacks on his intellect and cognitive skills, often referring to a test he “took” in 2018.
That test, known as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, was intended to help doctors detect mild cognitive impairment and the early onset of dementia.
Nikki Haley is trailing the former president, who now has a commanding lead in the US national polls of 67 percent in favor of his re-election.