That force field, said a number of strategists and officials, is comprised of Mr. Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett, press secretary Robert Gibbs and 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe.

WSJ: Pressure Builds on Obama to Shake Up Inner Circle

"We'd sit around the conference rooms and have these discussions, " said Steve Hildebrand, a deputy campaign manager for Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign.

WSJ: Punctuation Nerds Stopped

"It's just something that he's going to have to learn to deal with, " said Chip Saltsman, the 2008 presidential campaign manager for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who lost 110 pounds before his unsuccessful bid for the White House.

WSJ: The Politics of Gov. Chris Christie's Weight