Chris Christie Is Pragmatic About His Weight Loss Struggles

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie is upfront about what he believes, never blurring the lines of his political agenda. Yet, his physical appearance is just as much of a talking point as his governmental perspective. The former New Jersey governor admits he is overweight, and it is a struggle he has dealt with for decades.

In 2013, he received lap-band surgery unbeknownst to even his top advisors. Despite public commentary on his weight, Christie believes it is an issue for him, his family, and the medical professionals. "I've been living with it for a long time, and I'm going to try to get better," Christie told ABC News in a 2012 interview. "And if I can get better, that'll be great for me and for my family and for the public who likes me... It's something that's not easy. If it were easy, I'd already have it fixed."

Dropping pounds is not simple and weight loss gets harder as you age. It is a struggle many Americans deal with. Plus, being in the public eye Christie also has to endure the harsh criticism of the naysayers.

In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Chris Christie revealed that while he was New Jersey's governor, people would send him gifts, similar to how celebrities receive fan mail. "Do you know what the single biggest category of gifts was I got my eight years?" Christie asked. The politician then revealed that his most received gifts were books about weight. The majority of those weight loss materials were from people he never met. "I'm talking about a couple of hundred books, pamphlets — stuff sent in to me as 'gifts' to me about my weight," the Garden State politician shared.

Christie's appearance blinded people from his political agenda. "I could be talking about the Iran nuclear deal and I'll get a response from somebody on email or Twitter or Facebook or wherever saying, 'You fat S.O.B. You blah, blah, blah,'" he said. The torment didn't just come from everyday citizens who wanted to attack Christie, but also from fellow politicians who wanted to discredit his positions and his record.

Chris Christie and Donald Trump's relationship has been tumultuous. When Christie announced his 2024 presidential campaign, the former president, who is also trying to secure the Republican party presidential nomination, responded with hateful comments about the former governor's weight. Trump posted on Truth Social an edited clip of Christie's speech, with the former governor holding a stacked plate of food and a buffet line-up photoshopped in front of him.

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., seemed to inherit his father's bullying gene. He also responded to Christie's presidential run by fat shaming him. Trump Jr. took to Twitter writing, "New Chris Christie for President logo just dropped." Attached was the doughnut brand Krispy Kreme's logo edited to read, "Chris Krispy."

"Breaking news... I have struggled with my weight for 20 years," Christie wrote on Twitter. "What I haven't struggled with is my character. I'll put that up against Donald Trump's any day. If that's the best he's got, then he's lost his fastball." Christie is used to the criticism and after decades he admitted it has made him tougher.