“Mental strain begets physical wear and tear—that’s nothing new,” said Dr. Richard Vestum, chief wellness officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “But if you have the weight of leading the free world resting on Barack Obama’s shoulders, you’re experiencing roughly 10 times the anxiety of the average individual in a Western democracy.”
“Imagine waking up every morning knowing that Obama has to make the final call on everything from national security to the economy, and is constantly trying to balance those decisions with what is politically advantageous,” Vestum added. “That’s a very isolating, powerless feeling that would make any citizen appear more haggard.”
Vestum said that during each year of the Obama administration, American citizens have aged the equivalent of three ordinary years. He confirmed the aging process is even more severe among the president’s die-hard supporters, who, after experiencing three years of lackluster job performance and Obama’s compromising of many cherished Democratic initiatives, have aged roughly five years for each “Obama year.”
