Steve Jobs to remain Apple CEO despite nutritional problem

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5 (Chinese media) -- In a move to dissipate latest rumors about his health, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs said on Monday that his weight loss is caused by a treatable hormone imbalance and he will continue to run the company.

"As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008.The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors," Jobs wrote in a letter published on Apple's website.

Blood tests confirmed that the weight loss was caused by a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" him of the proteins his body needs to be healthy, Jobs said.

"The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I've already begun treatment," he said, adding that he will continue as Apple's CEO during his recovery.

Jobs, a co-founder of Apple, resigned from the company in 1985,but returned in 1997 and has since served as its CEO.

In 2004, Jobs underwent a surgery to treat a rare, far less aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.

In the following years, his thin, almost gaunt appearance while delivering keynote speeches at some major conferences constantly inspired speculations about his health.

In December 2008, Apple announced that Jobs would not deliver the keynote address at the Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 which is scheduled for this Tuesday in San Francisco.

This fueled new rumors about Jobs' health. He had given the Macworld keynote address for the past 11 consecutive years.

At the end of 2008, tech blog Gizmodo reported that an unnamed reliable source said Jobs canceled the Macworld keynote address because of "rapidly declining" health. Apple's stock plummeted momentarily following the report.

In his letter, Jobs noted that the decision to skip the Macworld keynote address set off another flurry of rumors about his health, "with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed."

In a separate statement posted Monday on Apple's website, the company's Board of Directors said "Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation."

"It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world," the statement said.