Christie Gets Surgery to Aid Weight Loss

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has endured both jokes and doubts about his political future because of obesity, says that he has had weight-loss surgery. Christie told the New York Post that he had a gastric banding procedure February 16. This surgery involves placing an adjustable band around the stomach to make it smaller. It makes people feel full faster. This and related procedures are the favored option for very obese people who have not lost weight in other ways. Christie, 50, did not announce that he had the procedure. He answered questions raised by the newspaper. Some commentators have said that health concerns could limit Christie’s political future. He has been mentioned often as a potential Republican candidate for president. But Christie told the Post that he got the procedure for the sake of his family, not politics. Christie has never revealed his weight.