Former President Bill Clinton, who went through a quadruple bypass surgery in September, 2004, told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta that he was a "fat band boy" when he was in school. Clinton is concerned about the childhood obesity problem and wants lawmakers to take a bigger role in creating healthy environments for kids in schools.
Clinton said lawmakers should take a greater involvement in the fight -- setting higher standards for school lunches and eliminating junk food in school vending machines.
He called on the fast-food industry to shape up.
"You get good bulk, and it tastes good for the money ... but we cannot sustain it from a health care point of view," he said.
Clinton has made changes since his health scare. He said he has cut down on french fries, eats more fruits and vegetables and incorporates exercise into his mornings. He said he wants to teach that lesson to American children.
"The bottom line is we've got too many kids too overweight," he said, "and they're walking time bombs."
Bill Clinton, through a partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, announced an iniative on May 3, 2005 to stop the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States by 2010. More about the initiative can be found here.
