Christie Weight Loss May be a Step Toward the White House

Getting fit would take a load off on the campaign trail

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's acknowledgment of having secret stomach surgery may reassure voters who've wondered whether he's fit to be president.

The governor, who has struggled with excess pounds for most of his adult life, told reporters in Newark yesterday that he had the procedure Feb. 16 for the benefit of himself, his wife, Mary Pat, and their children. He denied it was a political move.

"Just because I have a public office and I have some measure of notoriety doesn't mean that my feelings about my family and my concerns about their future are any different than yours," Christie said. "I did it because I want to try to put myself, as I get older, in the best position I can be to spend as much great time with them as I possibly can."

The 50-year-old governor is running to win a second term in November. He turned down fundraisers' overtures to embark on a 2012 presidential campaign less than two years ago, saying, "Now is not my time." Christie hasn't ruled out a 2016 bid.