by Mark Silva
One of the oddities of Washington is the two-block motorcade, the line of 15 cars, SUVs and vans that convey the president to meeting places two blocks from the White House.
And one of the outcomes of the physical exam that President Barack Obama got on Sunday is an attempt to get a marginally high cholesterol reading in check.
Obama, in his first full physical exam as president, was advised to get that 138 LDL below 130 -- and also to keep working on kicking a smoking habit.
Obama rode the traditional presidential motorcade this morning to a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce a couple of blocks away from the presidential mansion.
But Obama walked home.
The president told reporters: "I wanna make sure I'm working off some of that cholesterol. That's a year of campaigning right there."
At this pace, though, it'll take a lot to make up for a year of campaigning: By the pool reporter's count, the president made it back to the Oval Office in three minutes.
(Photo of President Obama walking by Charles Dharapak / AP)





Comments
Thanks for the news flash.
Posted by: BDD | March 1, 2010 12:14 PM
Is Harvard embarrassed yet? You cannot "work off" cholesterol.
Seriously the gaffes this man makes should be keeping comedians in business.
Posted by: independent thinker | March 1, 2010 12:54 PM
Let's hope he walks out the front door of the White House -- and keeps walking. The course Obama has put this nation on with his massive spending and nanny state schemes will destroy America. It's a race until November when we can replace more of his socialist Democrats and limit further damage from Obama.
Posted by: Derrick Ro | March 1, 2010 12:58 PM
yeah independent thinker he was obviously being serious.
Posted by: wes | March 1, 2010 1:05 PM
You may be independent, but you aint no thinker (what's yer alma mater, by the way?):
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3046114
Posted by: Mark Silva | March 1, 2010 1:06 PM
Walking out doors is one of the best types of exercises for you. It benefits the heart and mind. When I golf, I always walk the course, whether it's 9 or 18 holes. You fell better for it even if you had a bad round.
Derry Ro, the damage Obama is trying to undo was left upon all by Bush #43, our Supreme Court appointed President. You betcha.
Posted by: Doug R. | March 1, 2010 1:19 PM
I'm surprised Oblahblahblah didn't claim to have inherited his marginally high cholesterol from the former administration. He blames them for everything else!
Posted by: Kevin | March 1, 2010 1:19 PM
I always thought HDL can be improved with physical activity, but to see any real improvement in LDL, dietary changes must be made, because it doesn't matter if you are fit, if you don't change your diet, LDL will not improve. Physical activity cannot hurt, it helps with HDL, which the link addresses. So in a sense, independent thinker is correct if referring strictly to what the article is addressing, LDL. The link addresses HDL, but anything to rush to the defense of the one that makes Mark's leg tingle. I'm no doctor, this is only what my doctor has told me.
Alma mater, NU. Accepted based on merit, not affirmative action.
Posted by: Gerardo | March 1, 2010 1:43 PM
That the opposition attacks this president for walking in order to benefit his health shows the depths to which political discourse have fallen in this country...
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: Matt | March 1, 2010 1:51 PM
Raising HDL, possible with exercise, has the benefit of improving the ratio of "good cholesterol" to "bad cholesterol,'' which on balance is an improvement. (Brown/Columbia.)
Posted by: Mark Silva | March 1, 2010 1:57 PM
GW BUSH FOUND TO HAVE CAUSED NOBAMA'S CHOLESTEROL PROBLEM. VIDEO AT 10 . . . 3 MINUTES WORTH . . .
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 1, 2010 3:59 PM
Mr. Silva, good cholesterol can be raised with exercise, but bad cholesterol cannot be "worked off" like other lipids can.
In the last 2 or 3 weeks, Mr. Obama has made some gaffes that make me question his education - not knowing the difference between liability and collision insurance (and still doesn't, even though he's a lawyer!), can't pronounce "corpsman" or "ask".
To your article though, is there NOTHING else in DC to cover than Obama's walks and who rides the Senatorial elevator? Like, perhaps, some objective analysis of the multiple health care bills?
Posted by: independent thinker | March 1, 2010 4:51 PM
Can you people PLEASE get off your high horses of Obama criticism? He's doing the best he can after the 8 years Bush left behind. Health Care Reform should be passed to help the citizens of this country fight off the abuses of the insurance industry. The party of No, the Republicans need to start doing what's right for the American people and that means stopping the payoffs they get from the insurance industry to start health care reform. They sadly were able to stop reform in the Clinton years, did nothing to reform the process during the Bush years, and now need to join in or step aside so Obama care can be passed. Like Social Security and Medicare, Health Care should be available to all citizens and that means every citizen should pay into it!.
Posted by: Jean | March 1, 2010 5:54 PM
BO shouldn't worry about a little cholesterol. One of his biggest supporters sees big threats to BO. Then again, this guys claims he was on a UFO
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jJkCIU0H6uFzTBYSE5eZ94bUxjpQD9E5IU200
Posted by: Terry | March 1, 2010 6:36 PM
With all that jaw exercise, he should be in great shape. When is he going to give us the next lecture? Maybe we can look forward to an Obama pronouncement that he along with Nancy Pelosi have so much in common with the Tea Party.
http://politikditto.blogspot.com/2010/02/nancy-pelosi-says-she-has-much-in.html
Posted by: Free to Watch Liberals Meltdown | March 1, 2010 9:59 PM
Gee Mr. Silva, no mention of Obama's addiction to cigarettes and the doctor's recommendation to quit drinking so much booze?
I don't understand why we must read British newspapers to get the real information on Obama?
Posted by: Steve Lobber | March 1, 2010 10:54 PM
Keep on walking ObamaBoob ! And don't leave your cigarettes behind. Smoke often..please!
Posted by: kathy | March 2, 2010 9:42 AM