Chris Christie made jokes about his weight with David Letterman, but now he says he's got a plan to lose weight. INSIDE EDITION reports.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is hopping mad at the former White House physician who says his obesity makes him a medical "time bomb!"
Christie said, "This is just another hack who wants five minutes on TV. It's completely irresponsible."
The fat's in the fire because of remarks to CNN by Dr. Connie Mariano, who served as President Bill Clinton's White House physician.
"I worry that he may have a heart attack. He may have a stroke. It's almost like a time bomb waiting to happen unless he addresses those issues before he runs for office. And I worry about this man dying in office," said Dr. Mariano.
At a press conference, Christie said, "I find it fascinating that a doctor in Arizona, who's never met me, never examined me, could make a diagnosis from 2,400 miles away. She must be a genius. My children saw that last night. And she sat there and said, 'I'm afraid he's going to die in office.' My 12-year-old son comes to me last night and said, 'Dad, are you going to die?' "
Christie's rage is a total about-face from his merry appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman earlier this week.
He squirmed around, unable to settle his bulk into the chair. Then came this stunning statement:
"I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."
He even jokingly munched on a donut while speaking with Letterman.
"I didn't know it was going to be this long," said Christie as he took a bite from the donut.
The Letterman appearance is creating a buzz across the airwaves.
Al Roker said on the Today show, "If you can laugh at yourself before others laugh at you, then you've kind of taken some of the sting out of it."
With the help of gastric surgery, Roker's transformation from fat to slender was nothing less than astonishing.
The same procedure turned Star Jones from morbidly obese to slim, and comedian Lisa Lampanelli laughed away 100 pounds after a gastric procedure.
It's an option Governor Christie should consider, according to experts.
Dr. Steven Reisman told INSIDE EDITION, "It's not easy to lose weight. It involves exercise, strict diet and at times, it involves surgery to try to lose weight."
As a contender for a presidential run in 2016, the New Jersey Governor wants everyone to know he's aware of his potentially life-threatening condition.
But right now, he's just plain mad about a doctor who's calling him a "time bomb."
"If she wants to get on a plane and come here to New Jersey and ask me if she wants to examine me and review my medical history, I'll have a conversation with her about that. Until that time, she should shut up," said Christie.
