‘Cut out cheeseburgers' urges Boris Johnson as he says Trump will be 'fine'

A masked Boris Johnson said people should cut down on eating cheeseburgers.

Boris Johnson has warned of the dangers of obesity in tackling coronavirus, as he said he believed the US President would be “fine” after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Prime Minister, who said he took responsibility “for everything” since the outbreak of the pandemic also warned of a “tough winter” ahead in the battle against coronavirus, but said he was working “flat-out” to make Christmas as normal as possible.

Appearing on the BBC’S Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson was asked about Donald Trump’s admission to hospital, after testing positive for coronavirus –months after he too had to be hospitalised with the virus.

The Prime Minister said he was sure Donald Trump would be “fine” but pointed out the problems that obesity can have when fighting Covid, quickly insisting he was not commenting on the US President's weight.

“I'm sure that President Trump is going to be fine, he has got the best possible care,” he said. "The most important thing to do is follow his doctors' advice.”

Asked if that should mean fewer cheeseburgers, Mr Johnson added: “This is an important point, obesity - I'm not making any comment on President Trump – but obesity, since you mention cheeseburgers, is one of the problems that this country needs to address. Not just because it threatens all our health but in the long term we need to tackle it to reduce the pressures on the NHS."

Mr Johnson also rejected any suggestion he was suffering from “long Covid”, when those who had had the virus still find themselves exhausted months after. “Not in my case,” he said. “I am fitter than several butchers’ dogs.

"The issue is that when I alas got this wretched thing I was too fat. This is a teachable moment for our great country. Alas as a nation we are slightly too fat. We are fatter than virtually anybody else in Europe, apart from the Maltese for some reason, and we need to think about this – though I don't wish to cast any aspersions on my Maltese friends.”

The Prime Minister admitted there would still be “bumpy” months ahead, though he hoped the situation would be “radically different” by spring. He said people should behave “fearlessly” but with “common sense”.

More than a third of people in the UK currently live under some form of extra restriction following an increase in coronavirus cases, and asked if this posed a major threat to families' Christmas plans, he said: “If you ask me 'do I think things can be significantly different by Christmas?' Yes I do, and we're working flat-out to achieve that.

"But be in no doubt that it is still very possible that there are bumpy, bumpy months ahead. This could be a very tough winter for all of us - we've got to face that fact.”