The US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has hit out at President Donald Trump, calling him "morbidly obese" and saying it is unwise for him to be taking a controversial drug.
On Monday Trump admitted he has been taking hydroxychloroquine daily for "a couple of weeks" to ward off coronavirus, despite doctors warning of dangerous side effects.
Pelosi told CNN she didn't think it was a good idea.
"He's our President and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group - morbidly obese, they say. So, I think it's not a good idea."
Hydroxychloroquine has been condemned by health professionals and has not received Food and Drug Administration approval.
Multiple studies have shown the drug does not combat coronavirus and in fact could cause heart problems.
While Trump, who weighed 110kg in 2019, does not fit the definition of morbidly obese he is considered overweight for his height and could suffer more serious complications from the unapproved drug.
Trump has shown a previous reluctance to lose weight by exercising. In a 2018 physical his doctor told him it was important to lose weight and "break a sweat more often" to which he told Reuters he "got more exercise than people might think" by running to adjacent buildings and walking.
In an earlier interview with the New Yorker Trump was reported to view exercise as futile, believing instead that people are born with a finite amount of energy like a battery and therefore exercise could actually do more harm than good.
"Other than golf he considers exercise misguided," reads the article.
Trump has yet to respond to Pelosi's comments.
