<p>I don’t think we can compare CC with Taft. At that time, most of the voting population never saw a pres-candidate in person, and photo images were black&white and fuzzy. I think it was a non-issue based on the times.</p>
<p>But obesity is an issue NOW. We have much more scientific evidence proving it has bad health consequences. We’ve spent so many tax dollars (from around the world) researching its effects on humans. I can’t even imagine someone with such huge health issues leading America now.</p>
<p>To be honest, I don’t know CC’s politics because I’m not from his state. But because of his health issues, I will not be voting for him.</p>
<p>I have a question for those of you posting who were obese or morbidly obese before losing weight. Did you feel incompetent at your job? I understand that you may now have more energy and self esteem, as well as improved health, but were you competent in meeting the expectations of your job? Would you have been okay with being passed up for a promotion or project based soley on your weight?</p>
<p>FWIW my brother lives near the Christies. He has run into Chris and his family probably a dozen times in the past year at kids’ sporting events, business events, and yes, even the local ice cream parlor. My brother has commented that every time he sees Chris, he is always making good food choices i.e. water at the ice cream place; raw veggies at the soccer team social; salad-for-dinner at the local restaurant. Yes, the man has a few pounds to lose, but it sounds like more than occasionally, he makes the right food choice.</p>
<p>^^^
I’ve been able to make the ‘right’ food choices in public over the years as well.
For me, it’s the bowl of Ice Cream in front of the TV at night or the private Twix bar that does me in. I imagine that if I ate inappropriately in public as well, I’d have even more than my own personal extra 40 lbs…</p>
<p>And CC has more than ‘a few’ pounds to lose…</p>
<p>Absolutely correct. I would add that eating the right things is a good decision, but if you do not reduce the consumption of food (even healthy food) you cannot lose weight with normal exercise.</p>
<p>Fortunately, for Gov. Christie, with 63% of the adult population either overweight or obese, his weight is not probably not going to preclude him from being elected president. There are a lot of people who can identify with a weight issue.</p>
<p>I think the fact that Oprah has so publicly struggled with her weight has added to her appeal, not taken away from it. People can identify with her. And, for the record, it’s really hard to say that someone who has built a billion dollar empire and is one of the most influential people in the world lacks discipline. Like a lot of Americans, she struggles with a food addiction. The truth is over 90% of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years. It’s a lifelong struggle. I no longer put much credence in the newly converted ‘see how much weight I have lost, just do what I do and you too will be fit’ people because I have seen people gain and lose and gain and lose and gain over and over and over again. The only people I take seriously now (when it comes to giving out weight loss advice) are those who have lost and keep it off for more than 5 years.</p>
<p>MomLive, I wasn’t going to go there, but I agree: if the overweight / obese / morbidly obese / super obese voters do indeed vote with the candidate they identify with weight-wise, then Christie is a shoo-in based on sheer numbers of voters.</p>
<p>Really we are having this discussion. I can not believe what some people are saying. It is not like this man in in the minority with his weight problem. I would vote for a person no matter their girth. I think it is stupid to eliminate a person because of size. </p>
<p>Health does matter but you can not judge someones health soley on the size of their belt. I know their is a strong correlation as a heath indicator but it is not always correct.</p>
<p>People struggle with alcohol and drug addictions, too. Do you want them to be President?</p>
<p>Food addiction is very real and weight loss can be difficult. I don’t buy for a minute that Christie subsists on veggies and water. I had an obese employee and she ate secretly all day long from her desk stash. She was an incredible paralegal, but, yes, the weight problem does affect her job. She is developing related health issues, lacks stamina and, frankly, it costs her some respect from others. There are some very old psychological reasons ( and very valid) for her problem, but she always slips back from whatever progress she makes.</p>
<p>The two longest living women (my great-aunts) on both sides of my family were also the ‘unhealthiest’. One was 4’11’ and weighted at least 250 pounds - she lives until 87 and the other (different side of the family) smoked like a fiend and was moderately overweight, she lived until she was 85. They both outlived their siblings, spouses and in one case an adult child. You just never know who’s going to win the gene pool lottery…</p>
<p>I am not concerned about weight as a character or appearance issue, but I am concerned about health issues. I remember when Paul Tsongas was running for President. I liked him, but my wife (an oncologist) said that he shouldn’t be running because of his previous cancer diagnosis. And she was right–he would have died in office if he had been elected. Now, being fat is not the same as having had cancer–but it does increase the risk, and I’d be taking a sharp look at the vice presidential candidate before I voted for somebody with an elevated risk of dying while in office.</p>
<p>Let me also add that my wife also said that John Edwards shouldn’t be running, because the country didn’t need to have the First Lady die of cancer. And she was right about that, too. (The difference is that I didn’t like Edwards in the first place.)</p>
<p>A lot of the health problems promoted by obesity can be managed with high-quality professional care (lots of doctor visits, lots of tests, lots of pills). Governor Christie may be one of his insurance company’s least favorite people, but if he is following his doctor’s orders about how to manage whatever health issues he may have, he’s may be doing OK. He seems to be handling the responsibilities of his position as governor quite well.</p>
<p>I would want to be sure, though, that he selected a running mate who is both competent and in excellent health. Part of the reason why I did not vote for McCain is that he is older and therefore more likely to experience health problems that might incapacitate him for a while, and I did not want Sarah Palin running the government even temporarily.</p>
<p>^^ We all have those stories. My fittest friend- a Boston marathoner and Ironman, dropped dead a couple of months ago at age 64. It happens. But what do you want your odds to be?</p>
<p>Mom of wild child: I hope that brilliant paralegal who works for you finds another job soon. All of us have problems; some are just more visible than others. Yours, apparently, is a tendency to judge other people harshly and self-righteously–a far more unattractive trait, in my view, than merely being overweight.</p>
<p>I don’t think you can know the state of a person’s health just by looking at him. Yes, obesity is a very unhealthy thing, but there are people who are obese with good blood pressure, good cholesterol numbers and so forth. My husband is obese, despite being a garbageman and lifting 8 tons of garbage and walking at least 5 miles a day. About a year ago, he changed his eating habits and has brought the diagnostic numbers to excellent places, but hasn’t lost a pound. Sadly for him, from the back he looks trim, has a ton of muscle, but has a gigantic belly. His father, who was never obese, had the same belly. Must be a genetic thing. We were in the supermarket last week and he got in someone’s way. She called him a “fat guinea bas____” because it’s ok to say mean things to fat people. I don’t know the state of Christie’s health, I wish he would lose weight. More than that, I wish he would send in the national guard to conquer the Island I live on for New Jersey, but I digress.</p>
<p>Wasn’t Christie on the news for flying a state helicopter to his son’s sports game, then having a limo (with state driver) drive him about 100 yards to the field? I couldn’t believe he had a state driver drive all the way from Trenton to upstate NJ, just to drive him 100 yards to and from the field. Beyond what that says about his attitude toward New Jersey state funds, that really doesn’t speak to a preference for exercise. </p>
<p>If obesity is important to your vote, you have to look at why the person is obese. Some people just love ice cream or chocolate, so it’s a particular love for a particular taste. Some people have no willpower. Others got fat during pregnancy, and it’s hard to deal with fat cells once they’re created. Some handle stress through overeating, but they handle stress well by channeling it that way. Other have willpower, but are so arrogant that they don’t recognize restrictions on themselves. Each approach says something different about the individual.</p>
<p>And whoever said Christie needs to lose “a few pounds”, was being diplomatic. Whether you like him or not, agree with him or not, the man clearly qualifies in medical terms as morbidly obese.</p>
<p>There is the “fit fat” phenomenon. DH use to study it a bit. It is not generally easy to publish on. Very much not in the spirit of public health thinking these days.</p>
<p>I believe the biggest mortality risk is being seriously underweight, not overweight. It is a sign of worse health problems.</p>
<p>The issue of Christie’s weight is fun though. It is provoking some fun commentary. Interestingly, I think it just might be that the sermonizing and handwringing over the bad health effects of his weight will turn off many in the country and have a political consequence. His political opponents should drop the issue, imo.</p>
<p>I do like what Christie himself says about this such as “I’m pretty fat,” and “I’d be healthier if I lost weight,” etc. It’s quite similar to what Obama said at various times about smoking. I know from experience that it’s not easy to lose weight, and it’s harder for some people than for others.</p>
<p>Interesting research is being reported on the effects of gastric bypass. Most people who have it return to a normal metabolic state and lost 25% of their weight and keep it off. Hormone levels change immediately. It appears to be a cure for diabetes in most people. The Science News article I read says 15 million people in this country would benefit from the surgery. A lot of health insurance policies don’t cover the surgery, though. (I suppose that’s another function of the myth that it’s all about willpower.)</p>
<p>So obesity can be cured by changing hormone levels using surgery. That says to me that it’s not as simple as willpower. </p>
<p>After being thin right up until I had children, I have struggled with my weight for years now. It’s not a matter of willpower. To lose weight, I have to be hungry all the time. I get more exercise than most of my friends (walking three miles or more three or four times a week, cycling 15 miles two or three times a week, walking the dog every day, competing in dog agility most weekends (which involves walking 7 or 8 miles over a 6 hour period))–still heavy, still hungry. </p>
<p>MOWC: does your firm have a counseling program for alcoholics? Many law firms do. If you consider your employee’s food addiction in the same way you consider alcoholism, would that change your viewpoint? What would you do for an employee who was sneaking a drink at intervals during the day? Can you do the same for your employee?</p>