Obesity Expert Calls Gov. Christie's Weight An Irrelevant Distraction
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - While the speculation about New Jersey governor Chris Christie's run for president is over (see related story), the talk about his weight continues unabated.
Reporters and comics have been having a field day focusing on Christie's weight, with little said about his politics.
Dr. Gary Foster (right), director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, isn't surprised.
"Given a society that holds a lot of stigma and discrimination against obese folks, it's unlikely that anyone who's in a public position who is overweight or obese will not be subject to a lot of criticism," Dr. Foster says. "I don't think it's right, I think it's a distraction, and I think it's irrelevant."
He calls the stigma against obese people "the last acceptable form of bigotry."
Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio 1060
