Who is Fit to Lead?
How John McCain and Barack Obama stay in shape as they race toward the White House
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Now that we have two clear candidates for this year's presidential election, we thought it would be a good time to see what John McCain and Barack Obama do to keep themselves fit—and what they've done (or plan to do) to help you get there as well.
John McCain - Republican (Age: 71)
The decorated war veteran has undergone surgery to treat an enlarged prostate and two rounds of skin cancer. He has a bum knee and limited range of motion in his arms, caused by years of torture as a POW in Vietnam. He also smoked until he was 45 and doesn't often hit the gym. But McCain consistently gets a clean bill of health on his frequent medical checkups, and he regularly hikes near his Arizona home. In 2006, he and his son hiked the Grand Canyon from rim to rim. In the Senate, he was another sponsor (along with Edwards and Kennedy) of the Patients' Bill of Rights. In the past, he was an advocate of giving more decision-making power to your doctor, rather than your HMO.
Barack Obama - Democrat (Age: 46)
Obama has the build of a basketball player, which he was. His high school team even won the Hawaii state championship during his senior year (check out his moves on YouTube). These days, he still plays occasionally and hits the gym regularly. On top of kicking his own cigarette habit, he's introduced several health-related bills. His National Medic Act aims to improve patient safety and alert patients sooner about medical mistakes. He's also addressed environmental health concerns and introduced the Healthy Places Act, which supports improvements on parks, trails, and public transportation. His proposed health-care plan is similar to the universal health-care plan Hillary Clinton proposed and emphasizes coverage for preventive services.
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