Apple admits health keeps Jobs from Macworld

Apple has admitted that CEO Steve Jobs is skipping Tuesday's Macworld keynote for health-related reasons, after initially pointing to other reasons for his absence.

Throughout 2008 Apple was plagued with rumours about Jobs' health but steadfastly refused to acknowledge that anything was behind concerns over what many believed was substantial weight loss suffered by the iconic Apple founder.

Apple stunned onlookers in December with the news that Jobs would be skipping his much-anticipated Macworld keynote, but said the reason was that Apple had decided not to invest in a Macworld keynote because it would be the company's last year at the show.

However, Apple's board of directors put out a statement Monday acknowledging that Jobs would need some time to recuperate from what he called a "hormonal imbalance". Jobs said he decided a few weeks ago that getting to the bottom of his mysterious weight loss was his biggest priority and doctors had determined the imbalance was "robbing" the ability of his body to be healthy.

Jobs will continue as CEO while he is regaining weight in what he called a "simple and straightforward" remedy, which is expected to last until late spring, he said in a letter to employees. "I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our board of directors if I can no longer continue to fulfil my duties as Apple's CEO."

The startling admission that Apple and Jobs knew several weeks ago that health concerns had become his number one priority calls into question the company's handling of Jobs' absence from Macworld. There are no hard-and-fast guidelines that dictate how companies are supposed to handle health concerns, the way strict guidelines dictate the handling of material financial information.

Apple representatives refused to answer questions about Jobs' health when the news first surfaced in December, insisting the only reason Jobs would be absent from the keynote was because the company was done with Macworld.

Original article: Health concerns force Apple's Jobs from Macworld from CNET News.com