79-year-old 'overweight' Trump makes obesity and age grounds for US visa denial. All you need to know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "79-year-old 'overweight' Trump makes obesity and age grounds for US visa denial. All you need to know")
A baby caricature of US President Donald Trump is seen at a “People’s Block Party” gathering organized as part of a national day of action on Labor Day to protest 'the billionaire takeover,' on September 1, 2025 in Elysian Park in Los Angeles, California. Photograph: (AFP)
President Trump has ordered US diplomats to treat obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses as possible grounds to deny visas, calling them potential burdens on taxpayers. Here's all you need to know.
President Donald Trump, who himself happens to be in the overweight category, has ordered US diplomats to treat obesity and certain chronic illnesses as grounds to deny visas. This marks one of the most sweeping health-based restrictions in years. The directive, as per reports, is part of new instructions sent to embassies and consulates around the world. The State Department has told visa officers to broaden the list of medical conditions that could count against an applicant, folding obesity, diabetes, and several long-term illnesses into the mix, KFF Health News first reported.
But why is Trump targeting obesity?
In a blunt message, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that visa officers "must consider an applicant's health" while listing a spate of conditions that could be the deal breaker. "Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions." But why these medical conditions? In a cable dated November 6 and obtained by Politico, Rubio told officers, these conditions "can require hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care." Any illness that might lead to costly care, he wrote, should be weighed as a possible drain on US resources.
What this really means is that the administration is taking a far tougher stance on the long-standing "public charge" rule, under which immigration officials can reject people who are likely to rely on government aid.
How many people will be affected by this new guideline?
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Trump's order can potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people. On paper, the criteria can sweep in a huge number of people. Data shows that diabetes affects about one in ten adults worldwide. Meanwhile, obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or above, now includes one in eight people globally. In the US, that share climbs above 40 per cent.
A touch of irony
The irony? According to the Daily Beast, Trump himself landed in the obesity range during his 2020 physical, with a BMI of 30.5 at 244 pounds (110.68 kg). During his checkup earlier this year, he weighed in at 224 pounds (101.6 kg), which moved him into the "overweight" category.
The new visa instructions fit into the broader hard line Trump has embraced since returning to office. He has pushed for mass deportations, tightened legal immigration pathways, and last month slashed the annual refugee admissions cap from 125,000 to 7,500.
Asked about the new guidelines, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told the Daily Beast that the administration was "putting the interests of the American people first" and enforcing rules that protect taxpayers. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly echoed that line, saying that "For 100 years, State Department policy has included an authority to deny visa applicants who would pose a financial burden to taxpayers, such as individuals who were seeking publicly-funded health care in the United States and could further drain healthcare resources from American citizens. President Trump’s Administration is finally fully enforcing this policy, and putting Americans first".
