Gov. Chris Christie Secretly Has Lap-Band Surgery
May 7, 2013Obesity is one disease, one condition, that you just can’t miss. It reveals itself…no permission needed. So it’s no secret that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been struggling with obesity for years now. Publicly, he has joked about his weight, laughed with the very comedians who have poked fun at his obesity, and claimed to be the healthiest fat person around.
Privately, we will never know completely the mental and physical anguish he has been enduring as his weight continued to escalate.
Through the years, the governor’s political successes have sometimes seemingly taken a back seat to the countless articles that have been written about his obesity. Political rivals and talking heads have accused the governor of “throwing his weight around” and of being too obese to serve in any public office, let alone to be a possible presidential candidate.
But Christie just may have the last laugh. In February of this year the popular governor, with the urging and support of his family, secretly underwent lap-band surgery. His motivation to lose the weight has nothing to do with a predicted presidential bid in 2016. He says it’s much more important than that.
“I've struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said in an exclusive to the New York Post. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them. 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.’”
His decision to have the lap-band has come as a surprise to many. In a 2006 interview, Gov. Christie related that surgery was out of the question for a solution to help to get his weight under control. He considered weight loss surgery too risky back then.
Over time, and with much consideration, the governor researched his options and opened the door to having surgery as a solution. He even spoke with New York Jets coach Rex Ryan about his weight loss surgery experiences. Ryan had the lap-band in 2010 and has lost 100 pounds.
Governor Christie’s surgery was performed by the head of NYU Medical Center’s Weight Management Program, Dr. George Fielding. Dr. Fielding performed Rex Ryan's surgery and the renowned surgeon even had the lap-band procedure himself. Christie has lost over 30 pounds on his journey to living a healthier life. Only his family and his chief of staff knew of the February 16 surgery.
The governor, a father of four, is currently running for a second term. By the time his campaign is in full swing, his opponents shouldn't have much to say about his weight being an issue in his ability to serve.
Photo Credit: Bob Jagendorf