Chris Christie, National Guard, & Battle Of The Bulge: Governor Orders Weight Loss But Won’t Tell His Own Weight

Chris Christie has ordered a National Guard leader to slim down. Chris, who is multi-tasking his role as governor with flinging his hat into the presidential ring, also serves as commander in chief of the New Jersey National Guard. And that makes Christie responsible for the 8,400 citizen soldiers in the National Guard, reported Philly.com.

However, Chris has encountered a few snags in his attempts to manage that organization. Christie first chose a pal from his youth to take command of the New Jersey National Guard. However, that two-star Army general had to step down when he was discovered being unfaithful to his wife with a workplace romance. Chris then selected an Air Force pilot who the Pentagon criticized both for being overweight and for skipping exams designed to measure physical fitness.

Other criticisms of Christie’s relationship with the National Guard have ranged from racism to cronyism.

And none of this is helping Chris achieve his goal of moving into the White House.

Christie denied even knowing that the current head of the New Jersey National Guard, Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, had been criticized for his weight prior to a media query.

“The Governor has expressed directly to the General that his failure to meet that standard or to provide notification of his formal reprimand is both unacceptable and disappointing,” said the governor’s spokesperson Kevin Roberts.

Once Christie became aware of the issue, Cunniff received a direct order to lose weight within 90 days.

Although not achieving established guidelines for physical fitness can have consequences that even include job loss, Christie’s own weight problems have made it challenging to approach the topic. It’s been several years since Chris underwent weight-loss surgery.

As for Cunniff, he admitted that he has his own battle of the bulge.

“Many people struggle with weight control — I am not immune from this,” he noted. “However, I do recognize that military members and leaders, like myself, are held to a higher standard. I take this matter seriously and am taking the necessary steps to remedy this issue.”

So how has Christie done with his own weight loss? Experts estimate that he has lost about 85 pounds since having lap-band surgery, reported Politico.

“I think he is making progress, absolutely, for what I would expect at this point of the process,” said Jessica Barfield, a doctor of internal medicine.

Barfield, who focuses on nutrition and weight management at Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care in Melrose Park, Illinois, agreed with David L. Katz, a director at the Prevention Research Center at Yale University’s School of Medicine, that initially Christie weighed more than 320 pounds, equal to a body mass index of 45. Now his BMI looks to be about 33, according to those experts.

However, Christie has not revealed how much he weighed prior to the surgery or after, reported MSNBC.

It is only known that he had the weight loss surgery in February, 2013, then in September, 2014, informed a select group of donors that he had shed about 85 pounds.

In an April, 2015 interview, Christie described his positive feelings about the lap-band surgery.

“[Weight loss surgery is] the best thing that I’ve ever done for my health. And I look back on it now and wish I’d done it years ago,” he said.

[Photo by Sean Rayford / Getty Images]