It’s no secret that Bill Clinton is waging an ongoing battle with his weight. The former president’s affection for greasy fast food has been the punchline of countless jokes since his arrival on the national scene. “Saturday Night Live” writers famously portrayed him as someone who frequents McDonald’s to pick burgers and fries off the plates of strangers.
If such indignities weren’t enough, Clinton’s own daughter, Chelsea, is now taking him to task over his size, demanding that he lose at least 15 pounds in advance of her summer wedding. Clinton recounted his daughter’s admonition during remarks at a fiscal summit in Washington, D.C. You can watch the moment here (video courtesy of ABC News):
Clinton — whose diet was cited among the factors contributing to his need for cardio-bypass surgery in 2004 — explained that Chelsea was pressing him to slim down for the sake of the nuptial ceremony.
“She doesn’t think I’m in shape to handle it,” Clinton said. “You know, she told me the other day, she said, ‘Dad, the only thing you gotta do is walk me down the aisle, and you need to look good.’ ” Clinton added that when he asked her to specify how much trimming down she felt he needed to do, she said, “Oh, about 15 pounds,” an effort he said he’s “halfway home” toward accomplishing.
To Clinton’s credit, the doctor who performed a recent heart procedure on him said that he’s done an excellent job making the adjustment to a healthier lifestyle. “He really toed the line in terms of diet and exercise,” said Dr. Allan Schwartz, the chief cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “He really followed the program.”
Once he sheds the excess bulge, Clinton can presumably focus on what he described as the ceremony’s main challenge when he discussed Chelsea’s wedding with “Today Show” contributor Jenna Bush Hager: Keeping from tearing up as the vows are exchanged.
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