Time For Chris Christie 'Fat Shaming' To End, Experts Say

Do you crack jokes about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s weight? If so, it may be time to stop taking cheap shots, some nutrition experts say.

Throughout his political career, Christie’s body size has been the source of numerous potshots and news stories. He’s appeared on late-night talk shows eating ice cream, been called a “fat bully” by a fellow politician, and a photo of him eating M&Ms went viral.

Even the man’s gym shorts have made headlines.

Check out the comment sections for Christie-related stories online, and it gets even worse. For the sake of civility — and brevity — Patch won’t print any specific examples here. Still, if you’re one of the many people who have taken a jab at the New Jersey governor’s weight, you know how the comments generally read… “Christie is heavy.”

But should Christie’s weight and body shape be a source of public discussion at all?

When asked why New Jersey residents are so fascinated with their governor’s weight, Rachel Cohen, site director at The Renfrew Center of Northern NJ, had this to say:

“In our society there is a great deal of focus on weight, body image and varying definitions of what is considered healthy. People react to high-profile individuals — whether they are politicians, athletes or celebrities — because of society’s expectation of how they should look. This fascination with appearance demonstrates that there is still much work to be done educating people about the dangers of body shaming, as well as the potential risk of eating disorders.”

Cohen added:

“No one’s body is fair game for public discussion, regardless of whether they are a public figure or not. People should be aware of the implications of talking about anyone’s body as it can really be toxic.”

DONUTS AND ICE CREAM

The infamously ready-to-spar Christie hasn’t shied away from making public statements and references about his weight. For example, he appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in 2013 eating a jelly doughnut (watch the video here).

And who can forget Christie’s 2015 guest spot on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," when the governor called out the media and public for making fat jokes at his expense then scarfed down a bowl of ice cream on live TV?

THE ‘FAT BULLY’

But other public interactions and news stories referencing Christie’s weight have been much less good-natured than his bantering with Fallon and Letterman.

On July 8, North Bergen Freeholder Anthony Vainieri called Christie a “fat bully” after the governor shut down all road and train projects that use the state's Transportation Trust Fund (TTF).

When news of Christie’s decision got out, Vainieri had some choice words to share with Hudson County View.

“He’s a fat bully in a schoolyard,” Vainieri said of the Republican governor.

OLD GYM SHORTS

In March, an eBay seller made national headlines when he listed a pair of old, over-sized gym shorts that reportedly used to belong to Christie. The seller identified himself or herself as a “former employee of Chris Christie” and claimed to have won the governor’s trunks at a fundraising action at the beginning of his term.

The title of his eBay ad read: “NJ governor Chris Christie’s Big Gym Shorts Signed and Autographed.”

However, a Christie spokesman later told NJ.com that the shorts never belonged to Christie in the first place.

LOSE SOME WEIGHT

In September of 2015, Christie bit off more than he could chew after he gave the leader of the New Jersey National Guard 90 days to lose weight or face disciplinary action.

• See related article: Christie To National Guard Leader: Lose Some Weight

Most news reports mentioned that Christie’s admonishing was somewhat hypocritical, considering he underwent stomach-shrinking lap-band surgery in 2013.

“New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has famously struggled to slim his waistline over the years,” Time.com commented after his remark to New Jersey’s National Guard leader. “Now, he’s ordering someone else to lose weight.”

“I don’t care to be a role model for anyone,” Christie said about his lap-band surgery in 2013. “This is an intensely personal issue.”

• See related article: Christie: Weight Loss Surgery ‘Intensely Personal Issue’

‘A SAVAGE AND PERPLEXING MOVE’

In late March, Christie inspired thousands of social media bumps when he was photographed eating M&Ms at an NCAA basketball tournament in Philadelphia.

Pete Blackburn, sports editor for Uproxx, deadpanned that "Chris Christie pouring his bag of M&M's into a bigger bag of MORE M&M's is a savage and perplexing move."

Photo via http://stricklandpropane.com/Arlenand seth h ‏@hens1729

CHRISTIE’S TIGHT PANTS

When Christie took part in the True Blue Celebrity Softball Game at Yankee Stadium in June of 2015, he walked onto the field in a blue jersey and a pair of white pants that were likely a little too snug-fitting.

But after photos of the governor in his baseball uniform hit the Internet, it was fair game for fat shaming in the news headlines.

“Chris Christie Wears Unfortunately Tight Pants at Celebrity Softball Game—See a Photo of Him in His Uniform,” E! Entertainment declared.

WatchLoud.com swung for the fences with its headline: “16 Reactions To Gov. Chris Christie’s ‘Courageous’ Camel Toe.”

‘FIT AND FAT’: EXPERTS SPEAK

Pauline Bergstein, a New Jersey-based psychologist who specializes in eating issues, told Patch that people shouldn’t engage in conversation or criticism about anyone's physical attributes… including public figures such as Christie.

“Perpetuating these discussions simply perpetuates weight bias, fears of being overweight, and the objectification of people, which ultimately can contribute to inception and eating disorders in our general population — especially within our most impressionable members of the population, our children and teenagers,” Bergstein said.

In the end, those who pick on Christie for his weight issues may just be looking for an easy target, Bergstein opined.

“As much as Donald Trump's personality has a polarizing effect on the public, so does Governor Christie's,” she told Patch. “I believe that those who disagree with his tactics and his political rhetoric find it easy to target his weight as another negative characteristic.”

• See related article: Cake Boss: Stop Worrying About Christie's Weight

Joanne Gerr, a New York- and New Jersey-based eating disorder therapist, told Patch that when people struggling with body image see Christie’s weight issues in the news, it can have a mixed reaction.

“It’s a metaphor for American society being fascinated with weight and obesity and nutrition and body image,” Gerr said.

“On the one hand, people might be very relieved that despite [his weight issues], he can be in a leadership position,” Gerr stated. “In general, we’ve equated ‘thin’ with success and strong leadership skills and wisdom, and this man has been able to get somewhere despite his obesity. But on the other hand, I think that it can be discouraging that overweight and obese people get made fun of, while we don’t dare to make fun of other issues as a culture.”

Gerr added that while she personally hates Christie for his politics, his weight should be completely and totally irrelevant to the public discussion about his qualifications.

Debra Gill, a Livingston-based eating disorder therapist, had a slightly different take on the issue.

“It’s fair game for the public to examine aspects of a person’s lifestyle to try to ascertain their character and abilities, and weight can be seen as a reflection of lifestyle,” Gill said. “The unfairness is that people attribute a person’s weight to general and stable character traits that would generalize to job performance. The irony is that many people who struggle with obesity have unusually high levels of perfectionism and conscientiousness, especially at work. For many, the overuse of food as a source of relaxation, entertainment and distraction is a departure from their typically responsible functioning in roles outside the sphere of eating.”

Gill said that while there is a “very understandable” public interest in a politician’s vulnerability to health problems and injuries that could be increased by morbid obesity, it’s important to recognize that fitness and stamina are distinct from body size.

“A person can be fit and fat,” Gill emphasized. “If fitness and stamina is a key criterion for readiness to hold public office, then all candidates, regardless of size, should be evaluated on that front.”

CHRISTIE CRITICISM

Political pundits looking for a reason to bash Chris Christie have plenty of verbal ammunition besides his weight.

• See related article: N.J. Taxpayer Tab: Christie's $10M Legal Bills For Bridgegate
• See related article: N.J. Assembly Passes Christie-Backed 23-Cent Gas Tax Hike
• See related article: Christie Unveils New School Funding Plan; NJEA Calls It 'Despicable'
• See related article: Chris Christie Skips Cop's Funeral To Do This With Donald Trump
• See related article: 6 New Jersey Newspapers Demand Chris Christie's Resignation
• See related article: Gov. Chris Christie Spent $300K On Food, Alcohol, NFL Concessions Using N.J. Taxpayer Money

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