ADVERTISEMENT

About Jerry Nadler, before weight reduction surgery

JudgeLarryDawg

Circle of Honor
Oct 7, 2002
32,720
44,508
197
the 5'4" tall Congressman weighed 338 pounds.


If the usual rigors of serving in Congress were not enough, Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, struggled for years with the personal torment of being so overweight that he could not make it up even a single flight of stairs to the second floor of the Capitol to vote on the House floor. He used the elevator instead.

''I can't tell you how many people -- complete strangers -- have come up to me and said, 'Congressman, you're doing a great job, and I want you to continue to be my congressman, so you have to lose weight,' '' he said in an interview. ''Imagine how that makes you feel.''

Now, after decades of health-threatening obesity and futile dieting, Mr. Nadler has taken a more aggressive course: During the Congressional recess in early August, he underwent stomach-reduction surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, following in the steps of a small but rising number of overweight people, most recently (and famously) Al Roker, the weatherman for NBC's ''Today'' program.

Mr. Nadler peaked at 338 pounds before the surgery, whereas Mr. Roker peaked at 320 pounds. But Mr. Roker is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, while Mr. Nadler is 5-foot-4. Mr. Nadler was so obese that he long ago gave up riding the subway in New York to avoid the tiring climb up and down the steps.

Mr. Nadler, an influential New York politician who became known nationally for his staunch defense of President Clinton, said he took this radical step after realizing that his life depended on it. ''I want to live to see my grandchildren grow up,'' he said. ''How many grossly overweight 80-year-olds do you know?"
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT