After doctors told him he faced the prospect of diabetes, Gov. Paul LePage secretly had surgery in September to trim off excess weight.
“There’s 50 less pounds of me to hate,” LePage said Wednesday during his weekly interview with WLOB radio in Portland.
LePage said the bariatric surgery was amazing. He said he went in Sept. 29 for a noninvasive procedure and was back at work the next day.
Bariatric surgery aims to help obese patients lose weight.
LePage said he’s now about 200 pounds, right where he wants to be. One advantage? He said he’ll fit into his tuxedo for next week’s inaugural events.
LePage’s office dodged questions about his weight loss last fall. During one radio interview, the governor said people have told him he looks like he lost weight.
Post-surgery, the governor said, his medical tests are looking good and he’s feeling happy.
“It really is the right thing to do if health issues come in,” LePage said.
About 200,000 Americans annually have bariatric surgery, a small percentage of those eligible. Costs typically run from $15,000 to $25,000 for the operation.
It isn’t clear how LePage’s surgery was paid.
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