London, November 3 US President Barack Obama has sparked health concerns after being snapped looking slimmer than usual.

The Drudge Report website published the picture, entitled "Barack 'N Bones", showing the president looking thinner as he stepped out of a gym wearing a large jacket in Washington.

The website said "rigorous workouts and high-stress basketball games" were to blame for Obama's apparent weight loss, reports The Telegraph.

The story comes after Obama dismissed misconceptions about his physique during a speech in Miami a week ago.

He said: "Just 'cause I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm not tough. I don't rattle.

"I'm not going to shrink back, because now is the time for us to continue to push and follow through on those things that we know have to be done but haven't been done for decades." (ANI)