Can hoops help Barack Obama combat stress and slow aging?

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‘Youthful athleticism’ is the phrase that the Washington Post uses in today’s edition to describe the appearance of Barack Obama, who will be 47 when he moves into the Oval Office. The article quotes aging experts who say that presidents typically age two years for every year spent in office. So if Obama were to serve two terms, the story suggests that, ‘eight years from now Obama may look more 63 than 55, more Clarence Thomas than Denzel Washington.’

Aging experts said that Obama can help to slow that aging process by watching what he eats, maintaining close friendships and staying in shape by playing basketball. No word on whether golf, another of the president-elect’s passions, would speed or slow the inevitable aging process.

-- Greg Johnson