No matter how you sugar-coat it, the truth is always the truth.  Chris Christie has always been obese and proud of it.  He once boasted to David Letterman that he is the healthiest fat person on the planet.  Likewise, Coca Cola Chief Executive Muhtar Kent has been promising for several years to create a healthier product line for the marketplace.But he has also been quoted as saying: “There is a place for all of our beverages in a healthy lifestyle.”

That’s a lot of waffling… with syrup.

So Chris Christie, who is apparently proud of his weight, but now – at age 50 – admits it may be a problem in the future, is making a change.  And, of course, he is NOT doing it the old-fashioned way or the hard way.  Instead, as a lesson for all Americans who aspire to greatness, he is taking the ultimate shortcut, opting for weight-loss surgery.

Meanwhile, Coca Cola, who under Kent’s leadership is determined to become a healthier organization, is making a pledge… a commitment… something just short of a promise. The pledge involves listing calories on the front and back of cans and fewer commercials and limiting ads directed at kids. You can almost see the pounds being shed.

Chris Christie once said: “Today, the biggest challenge we must meet is the one we present to ourselves. To not become a nation that places entitlement ahead of accomplishment. To not become a country that places comfortable lies ahead of difficult truths. To not become a people that thinks so little of ourselves that we demand no sacrifice from each other.” We can only assume he was not talking about cutting corners on the road to reduced weight.

Likewise, Muhtar Kent recently said: “Obesity is today’s most challenging health issue, affecting nearly every family and community across the globe. It is a global societal problem which will take all of us working together and doing our part.” For their part, Coca Cola has absolutely no intention of removing sugar-packed beverages from store shelves.

So, what can we learn about obesity from Chris Christie and Coca Cola?  Pretty much nothing.  So if you want to lose weight and be healthier – and I emphasize “want to” – buy yourself a pair of athletic shoes and start walking or riding or running or whatever works.  Big businesses and larger than life politicians are not, never were and never will be the solutions to your problems.