Chris Christie isn’t bothered by media fat-shaming jokes because he has a thick skin and a big job to do as New Jersey governor.
Christie is featured on the cover of this week’s Time magazine with the headline “The Elephant in the Room,” a not-so-subtle dig at his weight.
“You know, if I’m bothered by jokes about my weight, it’s time for me to curl up into a fetal position and go home, okay?” Christie said on This Week With George Stephanopoulos Nov. 10.
If [Time magazine] thinks it’s clever, great for them. They run the magazine. They get to make the decisions.
Here’s the thing – the way the people of New Jersey look at this, their governor has been on the cover of Time magazine twice in one year. Whatever they put on the cover of Time magazine, as long as my name is with it, I could care less.”
Christie, who has been very public about his weight-loss struggles, has lost over 65 pounds since undergoing lap-band weight-loss surgery in February 2013.
While many have speculated that his weight loss was motivated by political ambition (he’s considered the undisputed Republican frontrunner for the 2016 presidential race), he insisted he just wants to get healthy.
“It has nothing to do with the performance of my job,” said the father of four. “I did it for myself, for Mary Pat and the kids. I’ve never been embarrassed about being overweight. I’ve been angry about it at times, but never embarrassed.”
Christie, 51, got lap-band surgery on Feb. 16, 2013. The gastric-band procedure involves having a silicone band placed around the stomach to create a pouch the size of a golf ball, limiting the amount of food the patient is able to ingest. Basically, it forces you to follow a very-low-calorie diet.
Christie was inspired to get the operation after seeing how slim New York Jets coach Rex Ryan looked after losing 106 pounds after undergoing the surgery in 2010.
Christie is happy with his progress, but is leery of getting overconfident for fear he may regain the weight. While he won’t reveal how much he weighs or exactly how many pounds he has lost, he’s thrilled that he no longer feels the constant need to eat.
“I could not conceive of not being hungry [before getting lap-band],” he said.
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