Christine SlusserPeople tend to be obsessed with weight — their own and pretty much everybody else's.
Which is why we bring you the story of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie losing weight. Eight-five pounds, to be exact. Cue media pandemonium.
WTXF: "Have you seen how much weight he's lost now?"
"He's now revealing he's shed 85 pounds."
NBC: "Gov. Chris Christie lost 85 pounds."
KYW-TV: "New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has certainly trimmed his waistline."
Perhaps the fact we care so much about a potential president's weight says a lot about our culture.
If we didn't care about weight, shows like "The Biggest Loser" and magazines like Shape wouldn't exist. (Video via NBC / "The Biggest Loser")
And headlines like these wouldn't be published.
As for Christie, who underwent weight loss surgery last year, some speculate he's getting in shape because he might be making a 2016 presidential bid. He hasn't officially announced plans to do that quite yet.
Does this kind of coverage suggest a person couldn't successfully run for office if he or she were overweight?
William Taft was an overweight president at more than 300 pounds. However, social media, online commentary and 24-hour television didn't exist back in the 1800s.
One way or the other, many are focusing on Christie's weight loss and his potential 2016 presidential bid. The big question now is: Do the two actually go hand in hand?
This video includes images from Getty Images and the Library of Congress.
