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Christie: Weight-loss surgery was health, not career choice

Gov. Chris Christie told reporters today at a press conference about his previously unknown weight-loss surgery in February that the procedure wasn't a "career issue," but instead a "longterm health issue."

Christer, who turned 50 last September, also said he never lied about the surgery, which the New York Post reported today that he had done at a surgery center Feb. 16 under a false name.

"If asked about it, I would have never lied about it," Christie said of keeping the procedure known as "lap-band stomach surgery" private. "So that's the decision I made. That's all."

He also said his family wasn't happy that the surgery was made public today and tried to temper any speculation that he's addressing his obesity because of his upcoming reelection bid for New Jersey governor or the 2016 presidential election.

"It's not a career issue for me. It's a longterm health issue for me," he told reporters. "I've been very fortunate over the last 50 years to not have any complications from being overweight."