Bill Clinton: Don't Eat Like Me
Mr. Clinton was released from New York's Presbyterian Hospital last week following a procedure to unclog a blocked artery, a complication from his 2004 quadruple bypass surgery.
Clinton blamed his health problems on "the habits I acquired in my childhood, mostly the way I ate and the way it interacted with my own biology and propensity to produce bad cholesterol," in remarks Wednesday, according to People.
"I ate too much fried food, too much ice cream, too much everything," added the former president.
Mr. Clinton's remarks come as First Lady Michelle Obama presses an initiative to fight childhood obesity centered on healthier food and exercise, an effort praised by the former president.
In addition to his eating habits, Clinton blames stress and lack of sleep and exercise for his health issues. He said he "didn't sleep much for a month" while working on Haiti relief efforts, as the Associated Press reports.
Mr. Clinton also said Wednesday that he was "very, very lucky that I didn't have a much worse set of circumstances" and that "many, many young people are facing exactly the same circumstances I did unless they change their eating and exercise habits."
"They may or may not be as lucky as I was," he said, urging young people to eat healthy now in order to avoid future health issues.
The former president, who said he felt "great" after leaving the hospital last week, has vowed to keep working hard. Mr. Clinton made his remarks at an event for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which combats childhood obesity.