Nine-doctor team finds president ‘fit for duty’

BETHESDA, Md. – President Bush was pronounced “fit for duty” after an annual checkup Saturday that showed that the 59-year-old commander in chief, an avid mountain bike rider, has lost 8 pounds since his last physical exam in December.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Bush said as he left the National Naval Medical Center in suburban Washington.

In December, Bush weighed 199.6 pounds, six pounds more than in the summer of 2003. He attributed the weight gain to munching too many doughnuts during his re-election campaign.

On Saturday, the scale showed the nearly 6-foot Bush at 191.6 pounds.

A four-page medical summary issued by the White House said Bush remains in the “superior” fitness category for a man of his age.

A separate statement signed by nine doctors who conducted the physical said there is “every reasonable expectation that he will remain fit for duty for the duration of his presidency.”

Doctors prodded and probed the president for a little more than three hours, checking his heart, lungs, eyes, muscles and skin.

Doctors used liquid nitrogen to freeze a noncancerous skin growth on his neck. The medical summary indicated the president has skin lesions consistent with sun damage and recommended that he use sunscreen and wear a hat.

Bush scored above average on a wide range of tests.

Bush’s overall cholesterol count remains at a healthy level, despite a slight rise to 178 from 170 seven months ago. There was a small drop in his high-density lipoprotein (HDL) count, or “good” cholesterol, and a small rise in his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Still, both levels were within healthy ranges.

Doctors said cholesterol-lowering drugs were not necessary. The president was advised to continue healthy eating and exercise habits.

“He’s in superior health,” White House spokesman Dana Perino told reporters after Bush returned to the White House. “I think you all know he’s got a terrific fitness routine. It’s a good example for Americans.”