'The View' Spars Over Chris Christie After Barbara Walters Interview (VIDEO)

The ladies of "The View" got into a heated debate on Thursday, after Barbara Walters recently put some rough questions about weight to New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Walters named Christie one of her "Most Fascinating People of the Year" for her 2012 special. In their interview, she asked him why he is "overweight" before continuing, "There are people who say that you couldn't be president because you're so heavy. What do you say to that?"

On Thursday's "The View," Walters said that those questions have come up in discussions about Christie's presidential prospects. Sherri Shepherd said that his weight is an important consideration because of the rigorous demands of the presidency. She also wanted to know whether Christie has considered getting gastric bypass surgery.

Walters said that it was difficult enough to ask the questions she did. "You sit opposite the person and you want to be a little dignified," she responded. "I don't want say, 'Hey, not only are you overweight but have you considered an operation? What about surgery?'"

Meanwhile, a skeptical Elisabeth Hasselbeck objected to the discussion. She cautioned the co-hosts against questioning people's "ability to do their job based on their weight."

"We ask these questions of all of these candidates," Whoopi Goldberg argued, adding that presidential candidates are on the road all the time.

"We talk about people because we're concerned about the stress, regardless of the job they have, because we don't want them dropping dead," she said. "This isn't politics, this is health."