A slimmed-down New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reportedly told a group of donors Friday about his weight loss, saying he has lost 85 pounds since having lap band surgery in 2013.
Christie didn’t reveal his new weight but did tell the donors that he understands how important the
weight loss will be to his political future, according to The New York Times.
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Christie was courting billionaire Republican donor David Koch, among others, at Koch’s Park Avenue apartment. One guest told the Times that Christie got a chuckle from the crowd about his weight loss when he shared that a doctor advised him to have the right relationship with food.
“Believe me,” Christie reportedly said. “For many years, I had a great relationship with the foods I ate.”
Political experts have said the weight loss is essential for Christie to make a legitimate run at the White House. One former White House physician even suggested that Christie could die in office without a significant drop in his waistline. Dr. Connie Mariano told CNN in February 2013 that Christie would be a “time bomb waiting to happen” if he didn’t shed pounds.
Medical experts looking at photos of Christie in 2011 declared him in the category of extreme obesity. Earlier this year, doctors branded Christie’s 2013 surgery a success and
estimated he had lost about 100 pounds, the Daily Mail reported.
If Christie does take a crack at the presidency come 2016, he is
leading the polls compared to other Republican hopefuls, according to Real Clear Politics.
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