In a country where being part of the majority is encouraged by the way of social norms, is the majority always a safe and healthy avenue to pursue?

Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, has found himself in the company of an unhealthy, but growing, majority. With many admirable titles preceding him, namely, his elected position as U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey from 2002 to 2008 as well as governor of New Jersey since 2009, Christie is rightfully esteemed.

His accomplishments, though, have been overlooked during the past months of controversy over his weight. Critical observers highlight Christie’s obesity as a deal breaker in the upcoming election. Though the speculations that Christie may have had plans to run for president have been debunked, others still maintain that he could be chosen as Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate.

This isn’t just about Christie, though. This is about how America votes. What is important, besides a candidate’s platform, ideologies and voting record? Appearance — specifically, weight — has mattered in the past.

But when about one-third of U.S. adults are obese, one wonders what license the public has to criticize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.5 million children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years old are obese. The obesity rates within the U.S. are high and still are rising. Is hypocrisy America’s stage?

Why should America put its political figures on a pedestal, idolizing them as perfectly moral and above-human beings? Christie certainly is representative of our country, a qualification that is traditionally good for a potential candidate to have.

But, like everyone else, political figures preform best when in optimal health. Shouldn’t America invest in a “safe bet?” As the voice of the people, by the people, for the people, perhaps elected government officials should reflect good health as the figure heads and role models of our country.

At the very least, politicians should conserve capital, and obesity is expensive. According to the Society of Actuaries, overweight and obesity costs an estimated $270 billion in the United States alone . This figure factors losses caused by medical costs, excess mortality and disability. Obesity also has been shown to cause adverse medical conditions. Is it hypocritical for Congress to push for a remedied health care system while our elected officials are stressing the system at the same time?

Christie is characterized as one of these stressors. Last July, Christie was hospitalized after having difficulty breathing. Christie is an asthmatic, a common condition linked to and intensified by obesity.

Is health any less significant than sex scandals that routinely oust political figures on the basis of bad judgment, poor self-discipline and unethical behavior?

Our country is entirely reliant on lobbyists who move for subsidies and monopolies within our agricultural system, a big contributor to America’s battle with obesity and other weight-related problems. To be sure, it would be a refreshing change for America to host a politician who defies the health epidemics, which are essentially created by Congress.

Forrest Bennett, political science senior, said some talk has surfaced about whether there should be a proportionate ratio in Congress to accurately reflect every minority within the country. Consciously electing overweight legislatures for the sake of having overweight legislatures may be extreme.

“On the other hand,” Bennett said, “do we not hold our elected officials to a higher standard? Are they not expected to personify the image of America that we want to see, regardless of the reality? Skinny, clean-cut candidates get elected, and perhaps it is because the electorate wants to believe that America is still full of skinny, clean-cut people.”

America is acquainted with the idea that politicians should be healthy, slim and clean-cut.

Many attribute President Barack Obama’s initial popularity during his candidacy to his sex appeal. Let’s just say during that campaign, we didn’t see pictures of John McCain on the beach.

Obama even publicly stated last February that he quit smoking after 30 years. Now there’s a politician with his health in mind.

Before Obama, John F. Kennedy made women swoon and commanded the masses with his charisma. Perhaps this all began with the 1960 Kennedy-Richard Nixon televised debates where Kennedy profited with his dark suit contrasting against the black and white backdrop, his confident demeanor and his au natural skin tone compared to Nixon’s chalky, made-up face. Standing next to Nixon during those televised debates, Kennedy looked pretty amiable.

Ashley Nixon, English writing senior, observes that television and advertising condition us to think that politics is a kind of Hollywood. She said we are taught to think “if you’re sloppy in your person, you’ll be sloppy as a political figure. That’s simply untrue. It’s what the media teaches you.”

For better or worse, biases regulate our lives. Politics is certainly no exception. While a candidate’s health is certainly an important factor, his or her appearance probably will always play a larger role.

I saw this for myself on the South Oval last year during campuswide UOSA elections. Hopefuls were handing out flyers advertising their candidacy. A pair of students walking behind me was a little too candid. One said, “I voted for her because she’s cuter,” to which his friend replied, “Yeah, but the other one has a cooler name.”

Kids really do say the darndest things.

Kayley Gillespie is a literature and cultural studies junior.