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William H. Taft was the heaviest president at 340 pounds (154.2 kg). James Madison was the lightest president at 100 pounds (45.4 kg). The average weight of the presidents is 182 pounds (82.7 kg). The weights listed below reflect the best information available.
In 1905, while serving as Secretary of War, Taft weighed 314 pounds. That’s a body-mass index of 40, which today would indicate someone who is severely obese. He knew his weight wasn’t healthy, causing an “acid stomach,” shortness of breath, problems sleeping, and daytime fatigue.
In a diary entry from 1911, the housekeeper notes Taft’s weight — 332 pounds — and that he was going on a diet, apparently at the advice of his doctor.
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States, serving from 1909 to 1913, and the tenth chief justice of the United States, serving from 1921 to 1930, the only person to have held both offices.
William Howard Taft, the only massively obese man ever to be president of the United States, struggled mightily to control his weight a century ago, worrying about his health and image, and...
A Smithsonian magazine piece from 2014 says that Taft tipped the scales at 340 pounds. A random Internet search produces results that suggest Taft was a big as 350 pounds and as short at...
President William Howard Taft has the dubious honor of being America’s heaviest leader, weighing in at 314 pounds during his tenure in the White House.
