Hillary Clinton might not beat Donald Trump in the presidential race this fall, but maybe in a footrace ...?
A new, non-scientific online survey found that Clinton edges out the Republican presumptive nominee Trump — albeit barely — when people were asked which candidate they perceive to be the healthiest, and the most "physically up to the task of being president."
Clinton's opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders, finished well behind both her and Trump in those measures.
The Healthline survey also found that how people perceive a candidate's health will definitely affect whom they will vote for, and that many people feel that it is important for the president to set an example for "good health and physical fitness."
Healthline, which offers medical information and health advice, solicited opinions from half of the visitors to its website from May 6 to last Thursday. A total of 4,314 people responded to the survey.
A total of 32 percent of respondents said that they perceived the 68-year-old former secretary of state Clinton to be in the best health among the remaining major party candidates.
Trump, who turns 70 next month, was named by 29.5 percent of respondents to that question.
Sanders, a 74-year-old socialist, was way behind, with just 13.5 percent of people saying they saw him as being in the best health compared with the other two.
Clinton likewise was the top choice when people were asked which candidate was most physically ready to be president, with 32.6 percent saying that. But Trump was a very close second, with 32.5 percent. Sanders again was way behind, with 12.7 percent of respondents naming him when asked that question.
When asked who they would vote for today as president, Clinton was named by 23.8 percent of respondents. Trump was named by 22.9 percent, and Sanders by 17.9 percent.
A majority of respondents to the Healthline survey said their perception of a candidate's health will affect who they will vote for in November, with 22.1 percent saying it would affect their decision by "a lot," and the remaining 33.1 percent saying it would "somewhat" affect their vote.
Despite that, a majority of people did not say they believed that voters have a right to know what medical conditions candidates are being treated for and what medications they take.
Almost 41 percent of people said voters have a right to know such things. But almost 39 percent said voters don't have such a right because it "would be an invasion of privacy."
A big majority of respondents, more than 83 percent, considered it important that a president "set an example as a role model for good health and physical fitness." Slightly more than 30 percent said that was "extremely important," with the remainder saying it was important.
When respondents were asked about the importance of a president making fitness and health eating a national priority given America's high obesity rate, 31.5 percent said it was "extremely important," and 50.6 percent said it was important.