Christie tries to make light of his weight but then gets serious

Feb 10 2013

The Wall Street Journal: Politics Of Christie's Weight
All it took was a late-night, nationally televised bite of a doughnut for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to set off an uncomfortable three-day conversation about his weight. A host of media questions and a warning from a former White House doctor this week represent a small sample of what could follow Mr. Christie both into a second term if he wins re-election in November and on a presidential campaign in 2016, should he choose to pursue one. ... Mr. Christie, 50 years old, said Tuesday excess weight has been an issue for the last 30 years-;nearly his entire adult life. It came up during his 2009 run for governor, when his opponent, Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, ran advertisements that seemed to make oblique references to Mr. Christie's girth. Mr. Christie hasn't divulged his weight, nor does he speak publicly about his eating habits, as (former Arkansas Gov. Mike) Huckabee did. He has told of his struggles, though, and uses it as fodder for jokes (Grossman, 2/7).

Politico: Chris Christie Struggles With Politics Of His Weight
After years of questions about his girth, Chris Christie seemed to settle on a strategy – leave them laughing. The overweight New Jersey governor took to Dave Letterman's couch, donut in hand, on Monday night, joining one of his chief late night tormenters for some jokes at his own expense. ... When asked by reporters at a press conference Tuesday, he soberly acknowledged his struggles with his weight and said he wants to shed pounds. He's well aware of the underlying concerns about his wellbeing sources close to him say – and his frustration with (former White House doctor Connie) Mariano's remarks were rooted in his kids hearing that their dad faces serious health risks (Haberman, 2/7).