Can a fat man get elected president?

Our heaviest president was William Howard Taft, who, a hair shy of 6 feet tall, weighed well north of 300 pounds and won his single term before television or even newsreels. Since then, presidents have ranged from thin to hefty, but none could be described as fat.

Ours is an age when movie stars are admired for being thin (women) or well-toned (men), and, say some, set the standard for public appearance.


At 5 feet and 9-1/2 inches, Jimmy Carter was our shortest president since Harry Truman, who was 5-foot-9. Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president ever at 6-4, and James Madison the shortest at 5-4 (and lightest, at 100 pounds or less).