Faith vs. Fat: Condemn, Condone or Transform?
Obesity has been declared an epidemic in America, with 64 percent overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 1998 Purdue University survey showed that obesity is associated with higher levels of religious participation - more so than education or income level.
In response, religious weight loss and exercise programs have found firm footing in congregations across the country. Yet many have come under fire as people question their messages. Does God want people to be thin? Is being overweight is a sin? Is a fat Christian is somehow not as "good" a Christian as a thin one? Or are programs properly encouraging people to draw on faith as a source of support and encouragement in their quest for a healthier body?
The faith-fat question raises other questions, too. Do religions have a moral obligation to address obesity? Should religions preach acceptance of overweight people, who are often the subjects of prejudice? Does spiritual practice demand disciplined eating and exercise?
Attitudes toward obesity matter. According to a national survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 16 percent of adults would abort a child if they knew it would be untreatably obese. A National Education Association position paper says, "For fat students, the school experience is one of ongoing prejudice, unnoticed discrimination, and almost constant harassment."
Posted by Lose Weight at 7:24 AM Christian Weight Loss Program
In response, religious weight loss and exercise programs have found firm footing in congregations across the country. Yet many have come under fire as people question their messages. Does God want people to be thin? Is being overweight is a sin? Is a fat Christian is somehow not as "good" a Christian as a thin one? Or are programs properly encouraging people to draw on faith as a source of support and encouragement in their quest for a healthier body?
The faith-fat question raises other questions, too. Do religions have a moral obligation to address obesity? Should religions preach acceptance of overweight people, who are often the subjects of prejudice? Does spiritual practice demand disciplined eating and exercise?
Attitudes toward obesity matter. According to a national survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 16 percent of adults would abort a child if they knew it would be untreatably obese. A National Education Association position paper says, "For fat students, the school experience is one of ongoing prejudice, unnoticed discrimination, and almost constant harassment."
Posted by Lose Weight at 7:24 AM Christian Weight Loss Program
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