Christie says his doctor has warned him about his health. | POLITICO Screen grab Christie on weight: 'Of course I care'

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talked about struggles with his weight on Tuesday, saying his doctor has warned him that his “luck is going to run out relatively soon” but that it doesn’t affect his ability to run the Garden State.

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“The idea that somehow I don’t care about this — of course I care about it,” Christie said when asked about his efforts to lose weight at a press conference in Union City, N.J. “I’m making the best effort I can. And sometimes I’m successful, and other times I’m not. And sometimes periods of great success are followed by periods of great failure. And so that’s just the way it’s worked for me for probably the last 30 years of my life. So, I know people have concerns.”

On Monday night, Christie appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” where he jokingly took a donut out of his pocket and took a bite as Letterman teased him about his weight.

Christie’s weight has long been a defining characteristic. In his successful 2009 run for governor, incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine ran ads accusing Christie of “throwing his weight around.”

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“So far, up to 50 years old, I’ve been remarkably healthy,” Christie said. “And my doctor continues to warn me that my luck is going to run out relatively soon, so believe me it’s something that I’m very conscious of. But in terms of people in the state being concerned as to whether or not it prevents me from being able to do my job effectively, I think they’ve seen the results of that.”

Christie’s approval rating has topped 70 percent in recent months.