How does a man in his late 70s, with a reported weight exceeding 300 pounds, maintain such a mass?

The answer is less about mystery and more about math, metabolism, and behavior.

How Many Calories Does It Take to Weigh 300+ Pounds?

To maintain body weight, a person must consume as many calories as they burn. This is known as energy balance. If Trump weighs approximately 300–320 lbs at a height of 6’2” (1.88 m), the number of calories required to maintain this weight, especially at his age (78), can be estimated using Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Step 1: Estimate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest — keeping your organs functioning, your brain active, your temperature stable.

Using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (a standard for estimating BMR):

BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5

Let’s plug in the numbers for a 78-year-old male weighing 310 lbs (140.6 kg) at 6’2” (188 cm):

BMR = (10 × 140.6) + (6.25 × 188) − (5 × 78) + 5

BMR ≈ 1406 + 1175 − 390 + 5 = 2196 calories/day

This means Trump’s body burns around 2,200 calories per day doing nothing.

Step 2: Add Activity Factor for TDEE

Depending on activity level, you multiply BMR by a factor:

- Sedentary (little exercise): × 1.2

- Lightly active (daily walk, occasional golf): × 1.375

- Moderately active: × 1.55

- Very active: × 1.725

Assuming Trump is lightly active (occasional golf, walking during rallies):

TDEE = BMR × 1.375 = 2,196 × 1.375 = ~3,020 calories/day

At 3,000–3,200 calories/day, he would maintain his weight.

To gain weight, his intake would exceed that.

To lose weight, it would fall below.

So How Could He Be Consuming Over 3,000 Calories a Day?

Easily — if his diet mirrors what’s been publicly reported:

- Fast food affinity: McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese + fries + Coke = 1,200+ calories

- Two such meals/day = 2,400

- Add dessert, snacks, late-night bites = easily 3,500+ daily calories

- Lack of structured exercise: further reduces caloric output

In short: consistent high-calorie intake and limited calorie burn equals sustained or increasing body weight.

But Why Doesn’t He Lose Weight as He Ages?

Most people do experience weight shifts in old age — often loss due to declining muscle mass, reduced appetite, or medical conditions. However:

- Trump reportedly has a strong appetite and limited self-regulation

- He’s not known to engage in strenuous exercise

- He likely avoids calorie-reducing lifestyle shifts (like fasting or plant-based diets)

- Stress may also lead to overeating or binge behaviors

And there’s one more reason: body weight inertia.

Once someone hits a certain weight, the body defends that mass through hormonal signals and altered metabolism. It becomes harder to lose weight without a structured regimen — and even easier to maintain or gain more.

The Big Picture

So, how is it possible for Donald Trump to weigh 300+ pounds?

Because the human body is not a mystery — it’s a machine. A large body, maintained by regular intake of high-calorie foods, and supported by minimal physical activity, naturally sustains its size.

Behind the headlines and health speculation lies a simple truth: the caloric math adds up.