Former US President Bill Clinton has said he started following a plant-based diet because he wanted to ‘live long enough to see [his] grandchildren’.

The grandfather of two was speaking at a recent graduation ceremony for the presidential leadership scholars program. He was joined by George W. Bush.

Living longer

After the host asked Clinton whether his diet was ‘hard to do’, he said: “It’s not hard when you’ve had a quadruple heart bypass and you want to live to be a grandfather.

“I didn’t give it a second thought,” said Clinton. “I realized I was highly prone to arterial blockage, and I thought I’d cut my chances.

“I literally wanted to see if I can be a grandfather.”

Good time

The former head of state added that he is the oldest person – man or woman – in his family for three generations.

“And so I said, ‘I’d like to hang around, I’m kinda having a good time being alive.

“It’ll be over soon enough and I think I’ll stretch it out as long as I can.”

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