A White House doctor has said Donald Trump performed “well” on a cognitive screening exam but that the President could benefit from a low-fat diet and more exercise.
“All clinical data indicates that the president is currently very health and that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency,” Dr Ronny Jackson said at the daily White House press briefing.
Dr Jackson conducted physical and cognitive exams of Mr Trump on Friday at the Walter Reed National Medical Center.
Mr Trump’s erratic behaviour in office has spawned vigorous debate about his mental health. Earlier this month, the President in a series of Twitter posts defended his mental fitness and called himself a “very stable genius”.
Dr Jackson said Mr Trump “did well” on the cognitive testing, but noted that the exam was limited to a screening for cognitive impairment and was not part of a larger psychological examination.
“I have no concerns about his cognitive ability,” Dr Jackson told reporters. He said he had not originally planned to administer the screening for neurological impairments, but did so at the President’s request.
“I’ve found no reason whatsoever to think the President has any issues whatsoever with his thought processes,” Dr Jackson said.
The doctor said Mr Trump scored 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which according to its website is a “cognitive screening test designed to assist Health Professionals in the detection of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.”
According to Dr Jackson, the President is 6-foot-3 and weighs 239 pounds. This places his just below the “obese” range on the body mass index.
“It is called genetics,” Dr Jackson said when asked how a borderline obese man on cholesterol-lowering medication could be considered in excellent health. “I don’t know. Some people have great genes.”
Mr Trump does not smoke or drink alcohol.
He and Mr Trump discussed losing weight and exercising, Dr Jackson said, and that the President has expressed “he would like to lose 10 to 15 pounds”.
Mr Trump currently “doesn’t have a dedicated, defined exercise programme,” the doctor said. But he added that gym facilities in the White House residence will be renovated to Mr Trump’s specifications.
The doctor also recommended that Mr Trump begin a diet lower in fats and carbohydrates.
“He’s more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part, but we’re going to do both,” Dr Jackson said.
