Sunday, March 13, 2011

US Presidents Trivia: Which President once got stuck in a White House bathtub?

Presidents, like the rest of us, are human.  They trip (Ford), have affairs (Clinton and another half of the Presidents), and are very, very overweight.  One President's weight, however, reached legendary proportions - he was so fat that he actually once got stuck in a bathtub.  So, off of Pocket Trivia:  US Presidents - What President once got stuck in a White House bathtub?  Was it Truman, Hayes, Taft or Franklin Roosevelt?


The correct answer is Taft.  During his Presidency, Taft weighed over 300 pounds, making him the heaviest man to ever serve as President.  On one occassion, Taft's girth proved to much for the White House bathroom, and Taft managed to get himself stuck in the tub.  As such, he had a special tub ordered, one that was over seven feet long and could accomedate four normal-sized men.

However, in a nice story for anyone who has ever struggled with their weight, Taft lost over 80 pounds after leaving the Presidency.  With the weight loss came a 40-50 point decrease in his blood pressure and a loss of sleep problems that Taft had suffered from.  He was even health enough to explore Alaska.

If a President can lose that much weight, who can't?

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