Chris Christie has lost 100 lbs since last year, deeming his weight-loss surgery a success, experts have said.
The 5 ft 11 New Jersey Governor underwent lap-band surgery in February 2013 and has since slimmed down to an estimated 320 lbs - losing anywhere between 90 and 100 lbs.
While the politician may still appear portly, a top bariatric-surgery expert said his mega loss means his surgery has been a success, despite speculation that his weight loss has slowed.
'We're trying to get somebody into a healthy lifestyle and reduce their obesity-related conditions,' Dr. Ninh T. Nguyen, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, told NBC.
Slimmed down: Chris Christie is pictured left ahead of his Lap Band surgery in February 2013 and right in January. Experts say they believe he has lost between 40 and 45 per cent of his excess body weight
'We're not trying to make somebody skinny here.'
Nguyen said he predicts Christie has lost 40 per cent to 45 per cent of his excess weight in the first year, which is expected for someone after being fitted with a lap band.
'From the images I saw, I would say, yes, I would regard it as successful,' Nguyen said.
Dr. Thomas Inge, a bariatric expert at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, agreed it had been a success, and commended Christie for keeping off the weight despite his professional pressures.
'With everything the man is dealing with, it is a wonder he has done so well,' Inge told NBC News.
Christie, who has been embroiled in the bridge closing scandal in recent weeks, has remained largely quiet about the weight loss, although he did reveal in September that he is more than halfway to his goal.
Before: An image taken in November 2012 shows Christie with his daughter Bridget ahead of the surgery
Getting there: Images taken in May, left, and July, right, show Christie slimming down over time
His decision to manage his weight has been seen by some as a clear signal he has his eye on the national stage, likely a presidential bid, but Christie downplayed any political motivation.
He insisted his only motivation was his wife Mary Pat, whom he married in 1986, and their four children, who he said had quietly worried about his health.
'It has nothing to do the performance of my job,' he told People magazine last May.
He added to the magazine that his life felt drastically different since he underwent the surgery on February 16.
Looking good: Christie, pictured this month, has lost as much as 100 lbs, experts believe
Priority: Christie has denied losing weight for his career and instead said he lost it for his wife and children, pictured together last November
'This seems... to be getting at the root of the problem, which is that I was hungry all the time,' he said. 'I'm not nearly as interested in food as I used to be.
But Christie added that he was wary of getting too excited about the amount of weight he has lost.
'I've had past success that has lapsed back,' he said. 'So I'm leery of victory laps.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2562995/Chris-Christies-lap-band-surgery-branded-success-experts-predict-lost-100-lbs-year.html#ixzz2tml5kids
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