A public battle is escalating between Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and a former White House doctor. The big question: can you be overweight and healthy?
It started when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made "light" of his weight problem by eating a doughnut on David Letterman's show.
Then, in a CNN interview, former White House Doctor Connie Mariano said she's worried Christie could die in office.
"I worry that he may have a heart attack," she said. "That he may have a stroke. It's almost like a time bomb waiting to happen unless he addresses those issues."
But Christie called her a hack. He says he's healthy - despite his weight.
He told Letterman, his cholesterol and his blood sugar are normal. And he added, "I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."
So, who's right? Can you be obese and healthy? Doctors say even if your cholesterol and blood sugar are normal, being that overweight is bad for you.
Even if your arteries aren't clogged, being obese can enlarge your heart, which can lead to heart failure. And all that weight can put a strain on your kidneys, cause gall bladder and pancreas problems and sleep apnea, which can also hurt your heart.
One study found that being morbidly obese cuts eight to ten years off your life. That's comparable to the effects of smoking.
Even Christie realizes being heavy isn't good for you. He admitted, "so far, up to 50 years old, I have been remarkably healthy. My doctor continues to warn me my luck is going to run out relatively soon. So, believe me,it is something that I am very conscious of."
It started when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made "light" of his weight problem by eating a doughnut on David Letterman's show.
Then, in a CNN interview, former White House Doctor Connie Mariano said she's worried Christie could die in office.
"I worry that he may have a heart attack," she said. "That he may have a stroke. It's almost like a time bomb waiting to happen unless he addresses those issues."
But Christie called her a hack. He says he's healthy - despite his weight.
He told Letterman, his cholesterol and his blood sugar are normal. And he added, "I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."
So, who's right? Can you be obese and healthy? Doctors say even if your cholesterol and blood sugar are normal, being that overweight is bad for you.
Even if your arteries aren't clogged, being obese can enlarge your heart, which can lead to heart failure. And all that weight can put a strain on your kidneys, cause gall bladder and pancreas problems and sleep apnea, which can also hurt your heart.
One study found that being morbidly obese cuts eight to ten years off your life. That's comparable to the effects of smoking.
Even Christie realizes being heavy isn't good for you. He admitted, "so far, up to 50 years old, I have been remarkably healthy. My doctor continues to warn me my luck is going to run out relatively soon. So, believe me,it is something that I am very conscious of."
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.