Is Having an Eating Disorder a Sin? The Bible About Bulimia?

[Wildputycat]

Is Bulimia considered gluttony which is considered a sin in the bible?

 

[1Newcreation]

Bulimia is the eating disorder, when one eats a huge amount of food and then throws it back up.
I looked up in the dictionary the correct definition. Gluttony = is the habit or act of eating too much.
So the answer to your question is yes it is a sin.
Anything that we do that put ourselves and our desires before God's is considered a sin.

1newcreation

 

[ImAChildofGod]

Yes, it is, and it is one that I struggle with on a daily basis.

 

[rocklife]

Yes, it is, and it is one that I struggle with on a daily basis.

am praying for you

 

[Mickey1953]

Hi,
I was inspired to share just a little.... We have so many things that are sin within us. Eating Disorders have run in my family and especially the sin of gluttony. But then there is Jesus that looks at our hearts, and sees my mom begging for food as a child....His love sees the path walked down and His death covers the sin. And how wonderful He is that He does not leave us there... but helps us to find a way out....

Just wanted to share.
God bless you and may you find peace
in Jesus.
A sister in Christ
Mickey

 

[ExtremeDays]

am praying for you

I agree, praying too God is able.

 

[JTLauder]

I won't say that the eating disorder itself is a sin because it is a real phsyiological condition. But the behavior that leads one to the eating disorder is a sin. But it is not a sin of gluttony. Gluttony is being greedy and eating too much.

In extreme cases where one has deprived himself/herself for a very long time so the person is so deprived that they end up gorging themselves. But many cases of bulimia does not lead to overeating. They may just eat a little or a normal amount, but because they don't want to gain any weight, they expel it.

At worst, a eating disorder is a sin of idolatry. Because the person is so obsessed with having the supposedly perfect body, when he/she worships that image of what he or she wants to be, that leads to eating disorders.

 

[Wildputycat]

Thank you all for posting your replies. I was afraid all of you would say "Yes" to my question. I was just 'hoping' you would say "no". When I do binge I do gorge myself until I'm overstuffed then I go to the bathroom. I ask God to forgive me everytime I do this and I hope that he does even though I keep doing it. It's just too hard for me to quit right now. With my Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, OCD, Anxiety Disorder, just started college 2 weeks ago, just broke up with my boyfried of 9 years 4 days ago, starting a new job next week. I'm a nervous wreck.

 

[Mickey1953]

"At worst, a eating disorder is a sin of idolatry. Because the person is so obsessed with having the supposedly perfect body, when he/she worships that image of what he or she wants to be, that leads to eating disorders."

I had not thought of it in that way, as being a sin of idolatry.

I have witnessed the obsession of a perfect body, with my daughter's friends and even the affect it has had on my daughters' view of themselves and how they have in the past been driven to be thin.... And it has led to eating disorders with a couple of their friends and also lead to much stress in other areas of their lives...

Peace to you
Mickey

 

[Mickey1953]

Dear Wildputycat,
I will pray for you .....
I am a Mom and my heart feels for you....
Mickey

 

[Wildputycat]

Rocky, ExtremeDays, and Mickey - Thank you all for your prayers. I could really use them. Means a lot to me. Mickey, God bless you too.
I never thought this disease as being a sin of idiolatry. That scares me. But I'm in it more for the comfort of the food. I LOVE food SOO much. More than staying thin I think. So I don't care if I'm a few pounds over weight (until summer comes anyways, hee hee). Than it's more of an even thing with food and weight.
God Bless all of you!

 

[Wildputycat]

I meant to say previously that since I wasn't sure if bulimia was a sin or not, I thought just in case, I should ask God for his forgiveness anyways whenever I binge and purge. I hope my forgiveness is still accepted even though I continue to do it (binge and purge). That is a big question I still ask that God hasn't answered yet.

 

[Elijah2]

Bulimia is the eating disorder, when one eats a huge amount of food and then throws it back up.
I looked up in the dictionary the correct definition. Gluttony = is the habit or act of eating too much.
So the answer to your question is yes it is a sin.
Anything that we do that put ourselves and our desires before God's is considered a sin.

1newcreation

Heavenly Father, I come to You, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and Lord WPC doesn’t desire to eat so much that has become an eating disorder, in Jesus' Name.

Lord Jesus Christ, WPC presents her body to You, Lord, because her body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which dwells in her.

Lord, WPC is not her own, WPC is bought with a price, and WPC now refuses to overeat, in Jesus' Name.

We command WPC's body to settle down, in Jesus’ Name, and to conform to GOD’s WORD.

WPC now restrains the desires of her body now, in Jesus’ Name, and we command it to come into line with GOD’s WORD, in Jesus' Name.

We now bind those forces of darkness to silence and oppression, and loosen them from WPC now, in Jesus’ Name.

 

[bliz]

Gluttony is a misunderstood sin.

Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas said of Gluttony: "Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking, but an inordinate desire... leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists."

Remember that the Kingdom of God has been compared to a banquet, a feast, and think of all the positive references to feasting there are in Scripture - the prodigal son, the man who invites all his guests to a banquet and they refuse to come, Isaiah goes into the menue that will be served at the banquet God will prepare: Isaiah 25:6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.

Gluttony also involves an over fastidiousness with food. Someone who is very picky and who will only eat certain foods or foods prepared in a particular manner is also a glutton.

Gluttony is a sin of the heart, not of the mouth and stomach. A fat person may or may not be a glutton. A thin person may or may not be a glutton.

As to eating disorders... There are psychological reasons why disorders develop in our lives. A person who was not loved much as a child who felt little affection, may find themselves craving physical contact and sleeping with lots of people. We can understand how this came to be, but their actions are still sinful. I think that eating disorders ae the same.

 

[1Newcreation]

wildputycat (that's so cute by the way)

Oh my dear one, what a load you are carrying. Please give this all up to the Lord. It is ok to ask for forgiveness, Our God is merciful and extends His grace to us, but to keep repeating the same sin over and over and then asking for forgiveness each time, is not something that can keep going on. The repeating cycle has to stop and we must confess our sin and repent. Repentance is to turn away from sin and turn to the Lord.

1John 1:9 "if we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness"

Ask the Lord to help you and give you the strength to break through this eating disorder. Trust in Him. You can do it, with His help.
I am praying for you.

1newcreation

 

[jacquidube]

I have been bulimic for 30 years and as a result my food (if I eat too much) just comes up on its own. Its horrid and I want to be healed from it. It controls my life. I asked God for healing 2 years ago and because I really believed I was healed, I wasnt sick for 9 months. To have God to believe in was what I needed but alas I must of fell away not remembering what God had done and now its back.

We have to FOCUS on God and if I allow myself to think about the bulimia, it comes back with a vengeance. I am struggling with it right now and if I think about it, I can even bring a drink back, thinking my stomach cant handle it.

I dont love this IDOLATARY if thats what it is. Adolatary is something we love and admire. I hate what is happening to me and I want it gone. It controls my life, not because I allow it but because it just feels a daily part of my life. I am fighting this and I will continue to fight it.
Satan will be crushed underneath my feet.
I am willing to pray on a daily basis for anyone who suffers with this. I feel tremendous pain for all you people out there that has to put up with this.
Wildputycat, you are in my prayers. I am here for you.

 

[Mickey1953]

[FONT=&quot]jacquidube, my prayers will be with you....
My heart aches for you. I pray "power will come from the Lord and heal you".....
In Jesus' name,
Mickey
[/FONT]

 

[FrauleinElsa]

There are far too many posts here for me to respond to so this is for all of you. Let me state very clearly: Bulimia is not a sin. Like someone else posted it’s psychological. The aftereffects of purging causes a chemical high for the sufferer. By all of your posts saying it’s a sin only makes her suffering worse! Shame on you. I’ve never had bulimia but I was anorexic and eating disorders are a way to cope with the stress in our lives. It’s a faulty, and un-healthy way to cope at that. But they are not sins. Not anymore than mental illness is a sin. If you think that eating disorders are a sin, then you must think people with schizophrenia and bipolar are sinners. Or that they have their diseases because of sin. God can release someone from these illnesses, but only with the person’s cooperation. They have to do the work of recovering from them as well which involves dealing with the issues that led to their disorder in the first place and finding new ways to cope. Please, don’t make this worse by saying it’s a sin. Because it’s not and I’m astonished that there are people who believe this way.

I hope that I've made myself clear and that I haven't offended anyone. But I can tell that no one here has actually suffered from an eating disorder, because if you had I feel that you would see it differently as I do.

Elsa

 

[bliz]

There are far too many posts here for me to respond to so this is for all of you. Let me state very clearly: Bulimia is not a sin. Like someone else posted it’s psychological. The aftereffects of purging causes a chemical high for the sufferer. By all of your posts saying it’s a sin only makes her suffering worse! Shame on you. I’ve never had bulimia but I was anorexic and eating disorders are a way to cope with the stress in our lives. It’s a faulty, and un-healthy way to cope at that. But they are not sins. Not anymore than mental illness is a sin. If you think that eating disorders are a sin, then you must think people with schizophrenia and bipolar are sinners. Or that they have their diseases because of sin. God can release someone from these illnesses, but only with the person’s cooperation. They have to do the work of recovering from them as well which involves dealing with the issues that led to their disorder in the first place and finding new ways to cope. Please, don’t make this worse by saying it’s a sin. Because it’s not and I’m astonished that there are people who believe this way.

I hope that I've made myself clear and that I haven't offended anyone. But I can tell that no one here has actually suffered from an eating disorder, because if you had I feel that you would see it differently as I do.

Elsa

Help me work through this...

Let's suppose that I overeat. I know that I do. I do it part as entertainment, part for psychological reasons and part because I just like food a lot. I love an opportunity to be home alone so I can eat too much and no one can see. Even as I shovel in a mouthful of mashed potatoes I know I don't need it, but in it goes just the same.

Is anyone going to argue that this is not the sin of gluttony? Are you going to argue that it is not?

Now then, let's suppose that as much as I love to eat, I know it will cause me to gain all sorts of weight and hate my body all the more. So, I don't stop being a glotton or stop my gluttoneous eating, but to minimize the weight gain, or out of disgust for myself and my actions, I force myself to vomit up the food.

How is that not being a glutton? How does the vomiting up the food I ate exempt me the the lable of sinner? I still ate more food than I should have, which is one of the aspects of the sin of gluttony.

Just becasue there is a psychological cause does not exempt my actions from being sinful. If there is a psychological reason behind my stealing things, I am still a thief.

There is a big difference between being bipolar and bulemic. Being bipolar is not caused by one's actions while bulemia is. Are we going to argue that being an alcoholic is not a sin becasue the alcoholic has a chemical addiction to alcohol? No - because the "disease" still involves the voluntary action of drinking the alcohol.

None of this is said without compassion and caring and empathy. This is not coming from a "holier than thou" position. If we really want to offer help to those with eating disorders lying and saying that there is no sin involved does not help the situation.

 

[jacquidube]

Dear Bliz.

I have made myself sick for 30 plus years. I was 10 years old when I first made myself sick because I just didnt want to go to school anymore. I did not know Christ then. I did not know I was sinning. I was 30 years old when I gave my life to Christ. I knew I was sinning. I was voluntarily abusing my own body but the eating disorder had already taken over.
I dont however purposely make myself sick. Its something I cant control. If I am not sick I believe I will either die or something is going to happen to me. There are certain foods I now avoid because they are what trigger my sickness.
I dont want to be like this. I cry out to the Lord. "Lord I am weak and I need your help" God in His own time will help me and many others who will cooperate.

Since reading this post I have eaten very little. Last night I was hurting. I wanted to be sick, but I held back and the holding back and not being sick is one of the hardest things to do. I held on to the food I had eaten that day and I truly want to thank Mickey1953 because after her prayers for me I felt guilty. I didnt want her prayers to be in vain. This may be the start of the healing process for me. I will try again today to not go to the toilet to be sick.

Praise God for what He is doing.