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Top 10 Unhealthy U.S. Presidents
Health problems such as heart failure or depression can affect any one of us, and state presidents are no exception. As a president is both a leader and a representative of a nation, he needs to be in good health. But some of the past presidents have not been doing so well in terms of health. The first ten war-hero U.S. presidents brought a plethora of disease to the white house, including dysentery, malaria and yellow fever. Later on, many of the U.S. presidents were trying to hide their afflictions from the public. This turns health into a political issue.
Here is a list of the top 10 unhealthy U.S. presidents, otherwise known as illnesses in the oval office.
10. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
The seventh US president suffered from afflictions of both physical and emotional nature. When he was inaugurated at the age of 62, he was unusually thin and suffered from rotting teeth, chronic headaches, failing eyesight, internal lungs bleeding, internal infection and pain from two bullets he acquired during two separate duels he participated in. His emotional state was not in the best shape either, as he had recently lost his wife due to a heart attack.
Maybe his emotional issues lead to an in-office conduct which was considered contentious by some, inspiring the opposition to organize the Whig party. This was the beginning of America’s national two-party system.
9. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
The only US president to serve two non-consecutive terms, Cleveland struggled throughout his life with obesity, gout and nephritis – inflammation of the kidneys. As this was not enough, he discovered a tumor in his mouth and had to undergo surgery to remove it, together with part of his jaw and hard palate. This left his mouth disfigured, but he recovered. He died of a heart attack after his retirement, in 1908.
8. William Taft (1909-1913)
Taft’s shape was not one of the best. At 300 pounds, he is known as the fattest president in history. His morbid obesity forced him to undergo aggressive dieting, which helped him lose a remarkable 100 pounds of body weight. However, he would gain it back just to lose it again, repeating this cycle continuously throughout his lifetime.
One side effect of his weight problems was sleep apnea. Having his sleep seriously disrupted, he was known to sleep through important political meetings and be constantly tired. He also suffered from high blood pressure and heart problems.
7. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
Wilson suffered from high blood pressure, headaches and double vision, as well as a series of strokes. The strokes affected his right hand, so Wilson was unable to write for about one year. Furthermore, he became blind in his left eye and he eventually got his entire left side paralyzed, forcing him into a wheelchair. He tried to conceal his paralysis. When this was discovered, it instigated the 25th Amendment which states that the vice president will take power in the case of the president’s death, resignation or disability.
6. Warren Harding (1921-1923)
Harding, the 24th US president, was afflicted with a series of mental disorders. He was even admitted into a sanatorium between 1889 and 1891, to recover from fatigue and nervous illnesses. Unfortunately, his mental condition eventually affected his physical health, as he gained excessive weight and started experiencing insomnia and exhaustion. Suffering from heart failure, he died unexpectedly after a game of golf in 1923.
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