A joking remark about a female lawmaker's weight has turned into a small political flap in Taiwan, though the woman at the center says she was never offended.

• KMT New Taipei mayoral candidate Lee Si-chuan told the party caucus he lost 5 kilos campaigning across the city, then joked that lawmaker Chen Yu-chen still had not slimmed down.
• DPP city councilor Tai Wei-shan called it out of line, saying New Taipei has real city problems to talk about instead of women's bodies.
• Chen defended Lee, calling him an old friend and saying the teasing was mutual encouragement to keep working the grassroots.
• She told other politicians not to drive a wedge between them or blow the comment out of proportion.

Outlook: The spat is likely to fade fast, but expect more of this tone as the New Taipei mayoral race heats up.