Obama Fit, Smoke-Free, Physical Says

President congratulates those trying to quit

(NEWSER) - President Obama congratulated those who are making plans to quit smoking today as part of the Great American Smokeout, wryly acknowledging that “quitting smoking is hard—believe me, I know.” He also slammed Big Tobacco for attempting to block new cigarette warning labels “because they don’t want to be honest about the consequences of using their products. Unfortunately, this isn’t surprising.” Click for more on a smoke-free Obama's health . More»

(NEWSER) - He wasn't all that happy to be asked about it—again—but President Obama admitted during his news conference today that, yes, he still lights up the occasional cigarette, reports ABC News. “Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.” Obama said he’s not a “daily smoker, a constant smoker,” and added, “I don’t do it in front of my kids. … I would say that I am 95% cured.” More»

President-elect's struggle with nicotine could help others kick the habit

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is about to become the nation's smoker-in-chief, and anti-smoking advocates are hopeful he'll become a powerful example for other smokers if he finally manages to kick the habit. He has quit several times but so far has always gone back to smoking up to eight cigarettes a day, reports the New York Times. More»

Longevity expert debunks myth that White House duty shortens life

(NEWSER) - President Obama's graying hair has set off the typical chatter that serving as president is so stressful it's bound to take years off a person's life. Not so, says a longevity expert in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, our presidents tend to live longer than the rest of us. S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois crunched the numbers involving 34 presidents who died of natural causes and found that 23 exceeded the life expectancy of men in their era, reports Reuters . More»

Advocate says government can take simple step

(NEWSER) - The vast majority of smokers say they want to quit, and a Yale public health professor has a relatively simple suggestion: "It's time for the 10-cigarette pack," writes Jody Sindelar at CNN . Studies have shown that bigger portions of food result in people eating more, and the same principle applies here. Fewer cigarettes might just kill the temptation to keep reaching for one more. More»