New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that he underwent weight-loss surgery three months ago to improve his long-term health after trying unsuccessfully over many years to lose weight.
"I've struggled with this issue for 20 years," he said. "For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them."
He told reporters that it was not a career issue and that the surgery was his idea alone.
His aides said he had the procedure, known as gastric-band surgery, on Feb. 16. They would not say how much weight he has lost since then.
In the procedure - also known as lap-band surgery - an adjustable silicone band filled with saline solution is tied around the upper half of the stomach, reducing room for food. But food still can pass to the lower half of the stomach and on to the intestines normally. The surgery is typically done laparoscopically, through small incisions in the abdomen.
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Christie described checking in at 7 a.m., being home by 5 and feeling a "little sore for a few days."
"I do not see myself nor do I care to be a role model in this regard for anyone," he said. "This is an intensely personal issue. ... All I want to be is a role model for my children."
Christie's weight has been an ongoing theme of his political career, and he has dealt with it in his characteristically brusque manner.
The weight of Christie, a Republican, was the subject of debate when he briefly considered running for president in late 2011. It also came up in his first campaign in 2009, when then-Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, ran an ad featuring unflattering video of Christie and saying he "threw his weight around" to get out of traffic violations.
The popular Christie is seeking re-election this year and is considered a strong favorite. But he said that the move was not motivated by any designs on the White House in 2016.
"I know it sounds crazy to say that running for president is minor, but in the grand scheme of things, it was looking at Mary Pat and the kids and going, 'I have to do this for them, even if I don't give a crap about myself,' " he said.
