Running one of the largest, most prosperous and most powerful nations in the world as the President of the United States is a stressful task, and these photos will show what sort of effect that stress can have on a person's health.

The majority of the US presidents pictured here spent about eight years in the presidency, so one could argue that they would have aged one way or another. The stress of their work, however - even for those who spent only four years in office - definitely speeds up the natural aging process.

The four years of Abraham Lincoln's presidency, the most tumultuous in America's history as a nation, left an especially obvious mark on the beleaguered president.

Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and even John F. Kennedy, with his untimely short presidency, all ended their terms with clearly visible changes in their health. Being the president or prime minister of any country can be a stressful experience.

A president is what half of the kids want to be when they grow up, but there are some clearly visible disadvantages in this line of work. See our picks of the famous presidents before and after photos below.

(h/t: huffpost)