History reminds us timely of the leaders who have distinguished qualities that make them unique among all. Many leaders have special skills, spiritual powers and god-gifted leadership qualities that make them special amongst others. We will delve into ten such outstanding leaders around the world who are distinguished by their obesity and health issues:
10) Kublai Khan (c. 1215-1294):
Source: Wikipedia
Kublai Khan was the fifth great Khan of the Mughal Empire, who was heavily influenced by his grandfather Genghis Khan. Kublai’s ambitious mindset led him to explore ancient Chinese philosophies and essential skills that every leader should possess. However, his personal life experiences were not very great. He lost his favorite wife and later his elder son, which hindered the potential of Kublai Khan.
This grief turned him to excessive eating and drinking which led to several problems. The excessive consumption caused obesity and severe gut and health issues, which started to spread in his body. Kublai’s weight gain was unusual due to over-eating meat and excessive proteins. This habit is one of the main causes of his death which occurred on 18th February 1294.
9) Henry VIII (1491-1547):
Source: Wikipedia
King Henry was one of the finest second Tudor monarchs, followed by his father Henry VII. At the very young age of seventeen, he took over the reins in 1509. He was famously known for his six marriages which he did primarily for the desire of a male heir after his death. Beyond this, Henry VIII’s lavish lifestyle is marked by his indulgence in a hefty and high-protein diet like meat pie and roasted pork.
Along with this, Henry is said to be consuming fancy wine which he consumed in high amounts, unlike others. These dietary intake habits heavily influenced Henry’s deteriorating health. It leads to obesity and several ulcerations in his gut. He was so obese that he couldn’t even walk properly or be physically involved in activities. Despite all that, he was once a charming king and had an athletic figure which attracted many.
8) Maria Theresa (1717-1780):
Source: Wikipedia
Empress Maria Theresa was an exquisite leader, who ruled Habsburg Empire from 1740 to 1780. She took the reins upon her father, Emperor Charles VI’s death. She was a highly educated and distinguished woman, who had remarkable knowledge about history and politics. She gave birth to Marie Antoinette, who later became Queen of France. Her reign significantly contributed to Austrian cuisine. The dishes included Coffee, Soufflé, Pastries, Soup and Crepes. Maria Theresa died in 1780, ending her marvelous reign and strong leadership skills.
7) William Howard Taft (1857-1930):
Source: Wikipedia
William Howard Taft was the 27th US President and is famously known for his huge figure. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from there and later, he was admitted to the Ohio State Bar Association in 1880. His presidency and leadership are marked by his notable weight, earning him the titles of “Big Bill” or “Big Lub”.
Due to his heavyweight, he needed a special place and accommodation. His weight gain journey is speculated by his love for steaks that he even had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Moreover, he tried to control his diet and lost some weight but regained it again. Even being at a presidency rank, he struggled with his heavy weight and high protein intake disorders.
6) Winston Churchill (1874-1965):

Source: Wikipedia
Winston Churchill was a renowned Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and 1951 to 1955. His remarkable leadership and diplomacy skills earned him numerous accolades. He had contributed to the field of literature and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions.
Churchill’s life was greatly influenced by significant culinary discoveries. During World War II, when the Great Depression era started the luxuries of food and staples were replaced with basic alternatives like dried potatoes etc. Churchill’s health was a huge concern throughout his life. He suffered a heart attack and then pneumonia in 1943, which took a great toll on his health and well-being.
5) Georgy Malenkov (1902-1988):
Source: Wikipedia
Georgy Malenkov remained a significant figure in the Soviet politics. After the death of Joseph Stalin, Georgy Malenkov was the leader of the Soviet Union. Who enlisted in the Red Army and joined communism. His life is heavily influenced by culinary delicacies like okroshka, aspic, chicken Kyiv and caviar, making it the favorite of Malenkov. Moreover, Malenkov implemented policies and focused on consumers and goods production but unfortunately, his power and reign were short-lived. He died a natural death in 1988.
4) Idi Amin (1925-2003):
Source: Wikipedia
Idi Amin Dada Oumee was the greatest military officer and politician of Uganda. He is remembered in history due to his ruthless regime which is marked by horrific atrocities against humanity. Amin rose to power in 1946 when he joined the King’s African Rifles of the British Colonial Army as a cook. He gained the title of military leader and later became a lieutenant. He also participated in the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya.
After the independence of Uganda in 1962, Amin played a pivotal role as a commanding officer of the Ugandan Army. During Amin’s regime, Ugandan culinary and cuisine became popular around the world. The popular dishes included Matoke, Okroshka and Blini.
3) Laurent Kabila (1939-2001):
Source: Wikipedia
Laurent Kabila is known as a pivotal leader in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has served the country as the third president from 1997 to 2001. He led the first Congo war and overtook the reigns of Mobutu in 1997. Unfortunately, Kabila’s life was cut short due to his assassination by one of his bodyguards in 2001 at the age of 61. He had an impact on Congolese cuisine and culinary traditions. The dishes that were popular among the Congolese were Fufu, Liboke and Makemba.
2) Abu Abdul Bari (Mufti of Mosul):
Source: New York Post
Abu Abdul Bari was a ruthless leader of the ISIS gang in the Middle East. He was nicknamed Jabba the Hutt due to his massive weight of almost 250 kilograms. Bari’s tactics were evil and he justified the sexual exploitation and torture of minorities. There is an interesting fact that ISIS militants were also involved in cannibalism but Abdul Bari never ran out of food and had access to all the food that’s why he became obese.
His reign was full of evil and corrupt ideas in 2014, he ordered the destruction of the mosque which is believed to be the burial site of Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by the whale. This act showed his extremist and disregarding side for Islam.
1) Kim Jong Un (1983 or 1984):
Source: Wikipedia
Kim Jong Un is known as one of the supreme leaders of North Korea, whose date of birth remains unknown. He is the great successor, followed by his family lineage. Upon taking the reins, Kim Jong Un solidified his position as a supreme leader by eradicating or executing other senior officials.
Kim’s leadership is marred by many controversies. Moreover, his health is always remarked as a subject of concern as the reports have suggested multiple disorders Kim has been suffered from or diagnosed with. These health concerns include hypertension and diabetes due to his heavy smoking rituals. He weighs around 130 kilograms with a reportedly gain of 66 pounds.