Health is more than just a policy matter; it's also very personal. That's why we asked the presidential candidates to answer a few questions about how health affects them, from guilty pleasures to defining moments.

What do you do to stay healthy?

• I eat a healthy diet, mostly fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. I also exercise. I love to run, which I do about four days a week.

What is your biggest obstacle to staying healthy?

• Making sure I have time to exercise while I'm on the road.

How do you handle the stress of the campaign?

• By making sure I have some time for myself. On the road that's usually when I get to go for a run, but at home I spend my time with my family and my dogs.

What health challenges have you or your family faced?

• I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003 and had to completely change my lifestyle. My wife was diagnosed with cancer right after we married, and that was one of the scariest times in my life.

Who's the health enforcer in your family? ("No, you're not smoking that cigarette"..."Sorry, no stops at Burger King today")

• As good Republicans, we believe in each of us making their own personal decisions, but I try my best to lead by example.

Who makes the health/doctor appointments in your family?

• All of my children are grown, so everyone pretty much makes their own.

What is your favorite "guilty pleasure" food?

• Fried Chicken.

Is there one experience that shaped your view of health?

• When my doctor told me I was looking at the last decade of my life*, when I was diagnosed as diabetic, that really changed my view of health and health care. I came to understand that living healthily is a personal challenge, and everyone faces personal obstacles to better health. That's part of why I support personalized, consumer-based health care that is more prevention-oriented than our current system, because I know how important my personal physician was in helping me map out my own road to better health.
• *Medical editor's note: A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (as in Huckabee's case) does not necessarily mean a person has only 10 years left to live. Diabetes is a disease that can be treated with healthy lifestyle changes and medication — information that Huckabee took to heart by losing more than 100 pounds. To find out more information about diabetes, go to WebMD's Diabetes Health Center.

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

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