From cheesecake to biscuit-and-sausage sandwiches, candidate Scott Walker’s diet is calorie-rich and all-American

For many presidential candidates, a trip to the Iowa State Fair this week means scheduling a diet-skip day or saving up calories to enjoy regional cuisine such as greasy pork chops and deep-fried Snickers bars — or just taking a bite instead of finishing the whole thing.

Not so for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who was scheduled to be at the fair  yesterday. The 47-year-old Republican eats like this pretty much every day on the campaign trail, documenting his epic caloric consumption on social media like a wrestler trying to bulk up for the season.

While other GOP candidates work diligently to control their weight through restrictive diets ordered by their doctors (former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 59) or by going on the Paleo diet (former Florida governor Jeb Bush, 62) or even through surgery (New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 52), Walker has been shamelessly flaunting his youthful metabolism.

 There was that Big Mac at the Wisconsin McDonald’s where he used to work as a teen, followed by meals at Burger King, Chick-fil-A and Jimmy John’s. Oh, and a couple of stops at Dairy Queen. Rounds of Miller Lite on the campaign bus, plus a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy by the fire pit at home. And litres of cranberry juice, as the berries are a major Wisconsin crop he likes to promote.

 There were a double cheeseburger and a beer at a bar in Chicago. Two biscuit-and-sausage sandwiches in Nashville. Cream puffs at the Wisconsin State Fair. A corned-beef sandwich with potato salad and lemonade in Cleveland. Lots of pizza, lots of burgers, and lots and lots of barbecue.

As Walker ate cheesecake for breakfast during a Fox News Channel interview in late July, Wall Street investor Anthony Scaramucci — one of Walker’s biggest fundraisers — proudly tweeted: “Our guy eats Cheesecake and fast-food. #thefutureisbright!” Scaramucci added a shout-out to the governor’s “great metabolism”.