|
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie "I’m basically the healthiest fat guy you’ve ever seen in your life"
Chris Christie underwent secret weight-loss surgery Posted by Aaron Blake on May 7, 2013 at 9:08 am New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) secretly underwent weight-loss surgery earlier this year, his office and campaign have confirmed. Christie initially disclosed that he underwent the surgery, known as lap band surgery, in an interview published Tuesday by the New York Post. “I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he told the Post. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.” Christie aides confirm he checked into the hospital on Feb. 16. They will not say whether he has lost weight or, if so, how much. In the surgery, known as lap band surgery or adjustable gastric banding surgery, a tube is placed around the stomach to reduce the amount of food one can eat and makes one feel full with less food. The tube can be adjusted as the stomach shrinks. Christie said that the move was not motivated by any designs on running for the White House in 2016. “I know it sounds crazy to say that running for president is minor, but in the grand scheme of things, it was looking at Mary Pat and the kids and going, ‘I have to do this for them, even if I don’t give a crap about myself,’” he said. Shortly before undergoing the surgery, Christie poked fun at his weight during an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” As Letterman talked, Christie produced a doughnut and took a bite while expressing frustration with how long the interview was taking. “I’m basically the healthiest fat guy you’ve ever seen in your life,” he said then. The gag earned a rebuke from a former White House doctor, whom Christie later told to “shut up.” Political candidates often lose weight in preparation for big political campaigns. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R), for example, famously lost more than 100 pounds before running for president and wrote a book about healthy living. Christie’s weight was the subject of significant debate when he briefly entertained the idea of running for president in late 2011. |