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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Hasn't Christie Lost Any Weight?
I just saw our Statewide Embarrassment giving an interview to a reporter, and it occurred to me that he doesn't look like he's lost a pound, despite the fact that he had stomach stapling.
How could that be? Isn't that operation a "given" that a person will lose weight?
I recall when he had the operation that I thought it was because he was planning to run for the presidency and he didn't want any "extra baggage." Now, as things turn out, he's not only retained that baggage, but gained some new.
Cher
ann---
(1,933 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)This was 2 days ago:
valerief
(53,235 posts)eShirl
(18,494 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,828 posts)And the cut of the pants isn't a good look for any man who doesn't make their living as a professional ball player.
Regardless - his administration can't end soon enough for me. Unemployment, misappropriation of funds, property taxes -
None of this is the fault of Fed Gov elected officials - Christie sucks and when people around the country learn that NJ sucks as a result of him being Governor - he and that arrogant little snot he's married too can go away.
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)You know, I wondered how snotty she might be after seeing her in one of his videos
Demonaut
(8,918 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)I think the rest will take hard work, fitness, and a lifestyle change. (Like not blowing taxpayer money on alcohol and steaks at football games)
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)Losing weight, and keeping it off, is very difficult.
I'm sure he appreciates your concern.
Human101948
(3,457 posts)One of my favorite Chris Christie aphorisms.
Moliere
(285 posts)Response to Moliere (Reply #5)
rocktivity This message was self-deleted by its author.
Depaysement
(1,835 posts). . . is the least embarrassing thing about him.
So it looks like he has lost and gained some back.
Successful weight loss, like quitting smoking, involves a change at a very deep level. It doesn't look like he's been able to achieve this.
Cher
Contrary1
(12,629 posts)Any addiction involves addressing both the physical and mental dependence. For an obese person, over eating can be even harder than drugs to overcome.
It's everywhere, legal, and necessary to sustain life.
Logical
(22,457 posts)NJCher
(35,685 posts)Cher
Logical
(22,457 posts)NJCher
(35,685 posts)You can go out looking like hell here, and people do. And I don't mean going out overweight and nicely dressed, I mean going out overweight and dressed in stretch pants and a knit top that shows every single roll around the midriff.
However, when I go to a place like California and some other west coast states, I notice how much more in shape people are.
Maybe things have changed, though. I quit traveling by air after 9/11 because of all the security restrictions.
Cher
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)William Howard Taft. 340 lb.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,202 posts)We are much more aware of obesity's health risks now and we are more aware of the stress associated with being POTUS. As an obese person myself, I can tell you that stress eating is common. Christie was morbidly obese. Now he may qualify as "only" obese. Mike Huckabee has regained much of the weight he lost through weight loss surgery as well.
missingthebigdog
(1,233 posts)He attributes his loss to a program he participated in at UAMS involving protein shakes and intensive intervention by a dietician.
The end result appears to be the same, either way.
Orrex
(63,215 posts)Thanks!
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)Mme Hepzibah is currently on vacation and has taken her scrying equipment with her.
treestar
(82,383 posts)It meant they were rich.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)For some, it was a badge of prosperity, indicating that they didn't have to do manual labor, or even much wait on themselves. The "Can't be too rich or too thin" bit came about after WWI, I believe.
treestar
(82,383 posts)are always about what the rich can afford.
When I was growing up in Delaware, where there is a winter - a suntan in Feb. was what they'd show off with. They could afford a winter trip to Florida.
Now it's thin since that involves being able to afford non starchy foods, weight watchers, exercise coaches and gyms, etc.
In the 19th century it was having enough to eat.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)And the modern star-studded Infotainment Universe pushes the masses toward those impossible ideals, resulting in everything from anorexia to suicide.
MADem
(135,425 posts)I think CC' s problem is his big fat MOUTH, not the size of his ass or gut.
Weight, accompanied by a pleasing personality, is often regarded as a positive. There is a bias towards--not against--beefy and happy types that hasn't been erased by admonitions from health gurus or that oft-discussed "fat shaming" crowd... I don't know if it's Santa, or Al Roker before he got skinny, or Melissa McCarthy, or what...but the right personality can turn girth into mirth. CC just does not have that quality.
Bonobo
(29,257 posts)I suspect you would be jumped on for doing so.
That's what DU's all about: jumping on other people for the POV.
If you can't handle that, you don't belong here.
Cher
p.s. to answer your question, I probably wouldn't have asked the question unless the woman had a personality like Christie's, meaning arrogant, brazen, and rude.
Bonobo
(29,257 posts)It's the double standard that bugs me.
Logical
(22,457 posts)I like to demonize people, especially people like Christie.
Cher
Logical
(22,457 posts)cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)NJCher
(35,685 posts)But I rarely go to parties because most people are a waste of time. I prefer the company of cats.
Now, can we return to fat-shaming please?
Cher
p.s. that was sarcasm. If you notice, my post only asked why he hadn't lost weight and it really was just a physiological question, which actually did get answered.
The rest of what I've posted has mostly just been making fun of how ultra-sensitive and judgmental DU-ers can be. But don't mind me, I've only been here for 18,000 posts.
JustAnotherGen
(31,828 posts)If it was a ploy (stapling) to "look better" as a Presidential candidate - I resent it as a NJ tax payer. That was a forced campaign contribution.
You made a good point up thread - we tend to be a bit more tolerant here of people's appearance. I think it's because life is "hard" (morning commute alone) maybe we don't have time to pick at this stuff?
Regardless - for his children's sake - I hope he continues on a path to better health. Just with what he's lost from one of those pics above - he's in better physical health than what he was.
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)I'm still flattered you'd admit agreement with me though. And in public even.
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)What does it matter?
treestar
(82,383 posts)Much more. Men get get away with far more fat before being called on it.
Avalux
(35,015 posts)Sure, the surgery made Christie's stomach a fraction of it's normal size, which makes a person feel full after eating a small amount. But if he goes back to his old ways, over time that fraction of the stomach will eventually stretch out.
I know a woman who went through the surgery, initially lost weight, then gained it all back because she didn't exercise and just kept eating. She ended up right back where she was before.
NJCher
(35,685 posts)but hadn't articulated.
Thanks for the thoughtful answer.
It appears, if the pics above are indeed the case, that Christie could be walking a path similar to the woman you know. Also, as I remarked in a post upthread, there appears to be no insight as to how he became overweight in the first place.
Cher
Avalux
(35,015 posts)I don't like to make comments on people's weight; and I don't know if Christie has always carried too many pounds. But since Christie made the decision to have this surgery in order to lose weight, then he obviously isn't happy with his size and it may be a more serious issue and causing him health issues.
The surgery isn't a magic bullet, it's just a component of the drastic lifestyle changed that's needed to be successful. Sometimes behavioral therapy helps along with it.
LiberalArkie
(15,719 posts)He got down to 250 and started eating because that was the only thing he enjoyed. He hadn't done anything but eat since his 30's. Eat and work and eat and sleep. I think he finally died at 750lbs when he was in his 50's. He could not see himself as obese. Anyone at normal weight or even a little heavy was always a skinny runt, anorexic.
When he got down to 250 he thought he was way too skinny. I think way too many people were too nice to him. "My aren't you looking fit" things like that. At 500lbs, it was not his weight, I am fit as a fiddle, it was his knees that were bad from High School football. His wife and mom kept feeding him, saying this weight loss stuff is killing him and he was too skinny (at 600lbs).
Drug abusers at least don't have people re-enforcing their habits. They are the lucky ones compared to the really obese people.
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)People who are naturally skinny will never understand it. Research is highlighting multiple reasons, but the most fascinating is that exposure to certain chemicals changes the DNA you pass down to offspring and so far in mice has had the effect in over 5 generations before wearing off. One common trait passed down is obesity. This research may explain the vast increase in obesity in the world.
NJCher
(35,685 posts)I did not know that.
Pictures of Christie as a young man show him to be very handsome. He was slim. You have to wonder what happened.
Cher
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)In genetics, epigenetics is the study of cellular and physiological trait variations that are not caused by changes in the DNA sequence; in laymans terms, epigenetics is essentially the study of external or environmental factors that turn genes on and off and affect how cells read genes.
Research is finding that we can indeed pass down experiences and exposures from our own lives:
http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/13-grandmas-experiences-leave-epigenetic-mark-on-your-genes
One such extra element is the methyl group, a common structural component of organic molecules. The methyl group works like a placeholder in a cookbook, attaching to the DNA within each cell to select only those recipes er, genes necessary for that particular cells proteins. Because methyl groups are attached to the genes, residing beside but separate from the double-helix DNA code, the field was dubbed epigenetics, from the prefix epi (Greek for over, outer, above).
Originally these epigenetic changes were believed to occur only during fetal development. But pioneering studies showed that molecular bric-a-brac could be added to DNA in adulthood, setting off a cascade of cellular changes resulting in cancer. Sometimes methyl groups attached to DNA thanks to changes in diet; other times, exposure to certain chemicals appeared to be the cause. Szyf showed that correcting epigenetic changes with drugs could cure certain cancers in animals.
Geneticists were especially surprised to find that epigenetic change could be passed down from parent to child, one generation after the next. A study from Randy Jirtle of Duke University showed that when female mice are fed a diet rich in methyl groups, the fur pigment of subsequent offspring is permanently altered. Without any change to DNA at all, methyl groups could be added or subtracted, and the changes were inherited much like a mutation in a gene.
The research continues, but it is now believed that exposure to certain chemicals or toxins can cause a change in gene expression and cause someone to become obese prone. Some of the suspected chemicals are commonly used in the USA.
Hekate
(90,714 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)And bashing his looks? Terrible for progressives. There are a lot of policies to discuss that will keep us busy for a long time. This is the gutter.
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)If it's a conservative white guy, slurs based on appearance are hunky-dory.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)One for every occasion.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)One of the things that is not great about DU. Most are great members but a few......
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)Human101948
(3,457 posts)Man, this is fantastic news!
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,458 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)He has plenty of faults. I think we can leave he weight out of it.
Logical
(22,457 posts)Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)There are so many substantive reasons to tear into Christie, why indulge in a vile practice like fat shaming?
Stardust
(3,894 posts)(Hopefully, the term "skinny" isn't offensive. )
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)Skinny here...although most of the body shaming I've endured over the years is related to my boobs (or lack thereof).
Christie holds horrible positions on matters of actual import. To me, that's plenty of ammunition.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)a friend's sister had the procedure and unfortunately there are forums where people who had the procedure find ways to still eat too much. That's all I'm going to say. It goes well beyond simply continuing poor eating habits and the stomach gradually stretching back out.
NJCher
(35,685 posts)I did look around the internet for the answer to my question before I posted, and didn't find anything that I thought made sense. I didn't think to check forums, though.
This does make sense. I've learned a lot from the answers on this thread.
Cher
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Please self delete this post.
NJCher
(35,685 posts)Thank you.
Cher
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Great, thanks for the insult.
Please self delete this post, I'm not the only person on this thread who feels this way.
Because the question is legitimate, it's physiological, and nothing was said about making fun of people because of weight. You're reading into something that's not there. It happens a lot on this site and I knew that when I posted. One has to separate the wheat from the chaff, however.
Cher
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)if the surgery should always work. IMO OP probably figured the surgery meant Christie would lose weight and is mystified why he didn't. A couple of the posters explain that the surgery doesn't work alone - the person still have to diet and not go back to their old ways.
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Does lapband surgery work... Not why hasn't Christie lost weight?
It's not easy, and for some it's a life long battle.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)the choice in your own hands.
rogerashton
(3,920 posts)gained his weight back -- he couldn't eat much at a time, but damn, he pretty much ate all the time when he visited me.
But he's retired -- CC isn't.
exboyfil
(17,863 posts)keep it off. I was 315 pounds in mid-January. I came down to 250 pounds by early May. I have stayed at that weight since then (my BMI says I should be 154 pounds). I row 1 hour every day (rower says that is 630 calories - I don't believe it). I also walk 2 hours per day. I think my eating has improved dramatically (I cook the vast part of my meals which are stir fries with a lot of vegetables and sparing on caloric sauces). I also eat mega spinach and romaine lettuce salads with low calorie dressing and lots of vegetables every day. I never drink my calories. I used to be a pizza hound (wipe out 3/4s of a large pizza in one sitting - no more pizza for me). Unlike other times which I have tried to lose weight, I eat when I am hungry just try to stick with high quality vegetables and protein when I do it.
It is an entire lifestyle change to lose weight and keep it off. My doctor says my goal of getting down to my BMI weight of 154 is unrealistic (it is the top number of the normal range). I actually enjoy my rowing and walking quite a bit (I have always been a walker).
One thing Chris Christie should definitely do is get a walking workstation. I am allowed 1/2 hour on our station a day at my work. He could probably do his work and walk two hours a day at a moderate pace. That would help dramatically even if he doesn't do anything else. The eating - well his job does involve a great deal of entertaining, and it is very tough to say no in those situations. I find myself avoiding going out many times with my family for just that reason.
Agschmid
(28,749 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)with a few step variations thrown in so you don't get bored. It's keeping the pace and the high intensity intervals.
They work very well, IMO. And office buildings should encourage workers to get up and do even just 15 minutes a day.
Now even when I stand in line for a while I do the steps
side to side, low kicks etc.
Phentex
(16,334 posts)and Christie has lost weight. And you are exactly right: it is a lifestyle change and that does not happen overnight.
Good for you on your success!
rocktivity
(44,576 posts)Last edited Fri Jan 26, 2018, 12:58 PM - Edit history (3)
Lapband surgeries won't help if you don't take control over what and how you're eating.
I don't think Christie's craving for food is entirely physical: just like people who are addicted to other things, he may be using food to fill the emptiness of his psyche as well. I sure wouldn't want to vote to someone I knew had serious drinking problem -- shouldn't that also apply to someone who can't control his eating?
rocktivity
P.S. You're all invited to check out the Christie Crime Digest: Volume 1 - Volume 2 - Volume 3
gwheezie
(3,580 posts)Or the sleeve, which is not the same as gastric bypass and is reversible.
roody
(10,849 posts)I am one too. This is not fat shaming.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)You still need to follow through the habit change or the surgery is going to be reversed. I think some people believe it can't be reversed - but the stomach can expand again and once it does, you're right back to square one. Watch the TV documentary My 600lbs Life for more on this - there are people who get the surgery, lose initial weight, plateau and start packing on the pounds again.
olddots
(10,237 posts)on the drive to Popeye's
PersonNumber503602
(1,134 posts)But as for why he isn't in better shape. I suppose only him and his doctors know that. I can think of a few possible reasons. One being a physical health issue that makes it difficult to lose and keep weight off. There could be a psychological issue that makes him retreat to unhealthy habits. He may also just be a lazy person who person who doesn't care.
I dunno. But for all we know, he could have a hormonal problem that makes it very difficult to keep a healthy weight, and he's putting a lot effort into losing what he has lost and keeping it off.
This is definitely not something I would judge him by, or even be concerned with (outside of a genuine concern for the health of another human being)
Mike Nelson
(9,959 posts)...but if Chris Christie were thin, he would likely be calling overweight protestors "fat slobs."
rocktivity
(44,576 posts)Shows how much you know...
rocktivity
NJCher
(35,685 posts)You made my day.
Cher
BigDemVoter
(4,150 posts)As much as I loathe Chris Christie (and I absolutely DO!), I don't want to ridicule him for his weight.
HOWEVER. . . . If his weight keeps him out of the White House, I certainly wouldn't argue. . . .