Is obesity a sin?

[98cwitr]

I have a few friends who like to indulge in food. They don't have drug habits, nor are alcoholics, but instead seem to be addicted to food. Several exercise regularly, yet they eat chocolate, eat fast food, and to me it seems to be very contradictory behavior. I see them in church every Sunday and have had lunch with them a few times. They always order dessert and seem to gorge themselves. I asked them about it, and most replies are "Well I exercise so I maintain my current weight and BMI." Thing is, their BMI is already unhealthy, they know it, and yet want to maintain it.

I don't see anywhere in the Bible that says that gluttony is actually a sin, but many, even myself, buy things we don't need, and the money is spent on ourselves instead of those in need.

What are your thoughts?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

re 'obesity'

after 40 years of study in medicine, pharmacy, food, health, water, drugs, pollution, politics, mankind, politics, economy, nutrition, corporations(martin luther commented on these, btw),
banking, one world government,
and
most of all, Scripture

i can say without doubt that there is a super-abundance of ignorance and confusion today.

a lot of people have no idea what is in their food or food supply, in their water, and in the drugs or medicine or even in vitamins and health food they may take.

it is certain that 'the curse causeless shall not come',
and
it is certain(and has been known by the pharmacy since 1902 and earlier)
that almost all(99.9) disease can be caused (and now has been caused) by what is taken into the body. (not denying that spiritual and mental anxieties can contribute. just concentrating now on what pharmacy (natural doctors also) has known for over a century.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

WOW ---- I just now turned my attention to channel 11, pbs, oeta that was on already in the backround.....

it is a special, and expose, of the drug lords who have continually and today continue to strive to prevent anyone,

including congressman right now testifying about 'helps' (can't say cures - it's not politically correct) that used to be
available, and could be available today,
if the drug lords didn't lie about it all, and if they didn't pass laws "prohibiting anything that 'helps' " .....

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

(a half-teaspoonful of a natural substance cured the congressman's granddaughter in minutes, after she had suffered for almost a decade on one drug after another that only hurt her)

he(the congressman) had to go where it is legal to use it without fear of arrest.

 

[USCGrad90]

This is a tough subject for most, because people don't view eating as an area of temptation. I believe that obesity is a result of sin and overindulgence in foods that are not good for you. Now some people may have medical issues that make them more prone to obesity, but if you are obese because of bad lifestyle choices, you are simply not using God's gifts wisely. I personally admit to being overweight and struggle to eat properly due to money an time constraints, but I know the bad choices I make have consequences. I don't go out and gorge like you mention and try to make decent choices when I eat out. BUT - I know I need to take steps to exercise more regularly and eat better. It is an area of weakness in my life.
I look back at the choice Daniel made, when offered the king's food. He showed an example where he and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were in better health beacause of good diet versus what the king's servants ate. I think the passage in Corinthians sums it up for me:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

 

[SeventhValley]

Philippians 3:18-19

World English Bible (WEB)


18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

 

[Lik3]

I'm not a thin person judging from my posts. I am also a Christian as well. I too have a struggle with gluttony and a lack of self-control, which are sinful but I cannot say that obesity in itself is a sin, so I guess the reasons why one is obese may be sinful. I don't think that God will look at the person's outside as much as the inside and spiritual state. So I do wonder if the reasons for why someone is obese or even underweight have to do with genetics (maybe), health reasons, or gluttony have something to do with gluttony or sin. Sure I need to take better care of myself and that I can do something about it like diet, exercise, medication, or something else like surgery. But I don't worry about my soul because of my obesity. I worry because of my eternal destiny: am I truly of the faith, am I living for God, am I truly born again, etc.

 

[SeventhValley]

I had a friend I worked with pull me over once and said "you are getting fat and are eating way too much/too unhealthily at lunch". It made me rethink my position and I started working out more while also eating less. I lost 30 lbs and I am now a healthy weight.

Now do I sometimes eat a bit too much...yea I am not perfect.

 

[Freakconformist]

With all due respect, honey, I think you need to check yourself.

I understand that you are concerned for your friend's health, but there is "concern" and there is "busy body". As Jesus says, it's time to start worrying about the log in your own eye.

Seriously, as a generally healthy woman who clocks in at over 350, I'm really insulted.

Is it a sin to be fat? No! God made me who I am! Who I am is a person who prefers sit down activities like writing and drawing, a person who takes time to consider my course and plan my actions, and a person who takes joy in the flavors and textures in all kinds of food. Is it a sin to wear pink? Is it a sin to take a bath on Sunday? Your question is ridiculous, baseless, and rude.

What you should be asking is;

Is it a sin to overindulge? Kind of. If you read the 10 Commandments it doesn't actually say any thing about overindulgence. Jesus does imply that we are to consider our bodies to be like temples, and that work is good for us. Respecting the gift of a healthy body that God gave us is, indeed, a good thing.

However, the "sin" of gluttony that you are referring to comes from a concept made up around the 16th century. The Bible never actually mentions these "Seven Deadly Sins". The thing is, these "sins" make people annoying, embarrassing, and distasteful, and generally uncomfortable to be around. So somebody came up with the solution of shaming people into "living better" by calling them "sins".

So what you're really saying to a person when you say "Being fat is a sin." is "I don't like looking at you and I want to guilt you into doing something about it."

 

[SeventhValley]

Luke 7:33-35

World English Bible (WEB)


33 For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard; a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Wisdom is justified by all her children.”

 

[Sayre]

Obesity is a result of gluttony. It is a result of sin and not so itself.

 

[98cwitr]

With all due respect, honey, I think you need to check yourself.

I understand that you are concerned for your friend's health, but there is "concern" and there is "busy body". As Jesus says, it's time to start worrying about the log in your own eye.

Seriously, as a generally healthy woman who clocks in at over 350, I'm really insulted.

Is it a sin to be fat? No! God made me who I am! Who I am is a person who prefers sit down activities like writing and drawing, a person who takes time to consider my course and plan my actions, and a person who takes joy in the flavors and textures in all kinds of food. Is it a sin to wear pink? Is it a sin to take a bath on Sunday? Your question is ridiculous, baseless, and rude.

What you should be asking is;

Is it a sin to overindulge? Kind of. If you read the 10 Commandments it doesn't actually say any thing about overindulgence. Jesus does imply that we are to consider our bodies to be like temples, and that work is good for us. Respecting the gift of a healthy body that God gave us is, indeed, a good thing.

However, the "sin" of gluttony that you are referring to comes from a concept made up around the 16th century. The Bible never actually mentions these "Seven Deadly Sins". The thing is, these "sins" make people annoying, embarrassing, and distasteful, and generally uncomfortable to be around. So somebody came up with the solution of shaming people into "living better" by calling them "sins".

So what you're really saying to a person when you say "Being fat is a sin." is "I don't like looking at you and I want to guilt you into doing something about it."

Did God make them fat, or did they make themselves fat? The question is about self-control, rather than predisposition.

I have struck a cord with you, and for that I apologize. I assume you are overweight and have taken personal offence to my thread. I overindulge in things myself, not food, but other things that are unhealthy and unwise. I am not perfect, and my own sin concerns me as well. I acknowledge that the Bible doesn't reference gluttony as a sin, but the scripture in post #6 does raise to question that gluttony may in fact be a sin.

Im sure the beer that I put in my belly is no better, if not worse, than the cheeseburger and fries they put in theirs (which I eat too every so often). I am 5'11" and 170 lbs, so I do not consider myself overweight, but Im still out of shape and could take better care of myself.

 

[dogs4thewin]

MOST of the time it is; because MOST of the time ( particularly here in the west) it is the result of overeating. Now There actually IS an eating disorder ( rare) where those people LITERALLY cannot control how much they eat their stomach literally NEVER fills full. It sometimes comes with very low IQ. You are not BORN with it as such, but usually develop it before your 6th birthday. For those people it is NOT a sin to eat too much because they LITERALLY have no concept of being full and cannot help it. If you have health reasons that make you overweight/ obese then that is not a sin; HOWEVER most people just plain eat too much to become obese then THAT is a sin, so the answer is USUALLY yes but not always.

 

[98cwitr]

MOST of the time it is; because MOST of the time ( particularly here in the west) it is the result of overeating. Now There actually IS an eating disorder ( rare) where those people LITERALLY cannot control how much they eat their stomach literally NEVER fills full. It sometimes comes with very low IQ. You are not BORN with it as such, but usually develop it before your 6th birthday. For those people it is NOT a sin to eat too much because they LITERALLY have no concept of being full and cannot help it. If you have health reasons that make you overweight/ obese then that is not a sin; HOWEVER most people just plain eat too much to become obese then THAT is a sin, so the answer is USUALLY yes but not always.

Lord help them

 

[SeventhValley]

I stress eat. I had to relax a bit before I got my eating under control.

 

[98cwitr]

I stress eat. I had to relax a bit before I got my eating under control.

I know how stress induced compulsive behavior works, been there many times. My prayers are with you sir.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Sounds like a chemical imbalance. This condition would be curable right?

Why does someone feel compelled to eat until they are full? There are plenty of times where I might eat a sandwich and do not feel full, but I still stop eating.

nope there is no known cure; often they also have low IQS and will never be independent they must either have someone responsiable for them throughout life ( legally) by court papers OR they are sometimes placed in group homes where the food is kept under lock and key. Well, yes you can stop eating and not feel full, but usually people do not they will find something else to eat but usually NOT in unacceptable ways. These people will steal food, panhandle, when I say steal food I mean right off the table or even off another person's plate.

 

[Freakconformist]

Yes, this question does strike a chord with me, both emotionally and intellectually. But please don't try to say that I'm over reacting because I'm fat. Seriously?

The idea that someone is bad because they are overweight, is the same as saying somebody is bad because they have black hair. Thinking like that is what spawns prejudice and negative stereotyping. The fact that there are people finding scripture to presumably support your precept out of context, shows how easy a negative stereotype like this can catch on. Yeah, it makes me hopping mad!

It's scary to me how popular it has become in American Christian society to judge and ostracize people based on minor differences like this. People wonder why the church attendance is down, well it might have something to do with people proclaiming that every little fault is a sin.

No, you are not a sinner for wearing loud clothes. No, you are not a sinner for watching that TV show. No, you are not a sinner because your car is dirty. No, you are not a sinner because your kids are a little loud in Church. No, you are not a sinner because you're late for work.

People need to learn the difference between real sin and the stuff that makes up normal, everybody does it life. Steal your neighbor's TV and curse the name of God, then we'll see who the real sinner is.

 

[Sayre]

Yes, this question does strike a chord with me, both emotionally and intellectually. But please don't try to say that I'm over reacting because I'm fat. Seriously?

The idea that someone is bad because they are overweight, is the same as saying somebody is bad because they have black hair. Thinking like that is what spawns prejudice and negative stereotyping. The fact that there are people finding scripture to presumably support your precept out of context, shows how easy a negative stereotype like this can catch on. Yeah, it makes me hopping mad!

It's scary to me how popular it has become in American Christian society to judge and ostracize people based on minor differences like this. People wonder why the church attendance is down, well it might have something to do with people proclaiming that every little fault is a sin.

No, you are not a sinner for wearing loud clothes. No, you are not a sinner for watching that TV show. No, you are not a sinner because your car is dirty. No, you are not a sinner because your kids are a little loud in Church. No, you are not a sinner because you're late for work.

People need to learn the difference between real sin and the stuff that makes up normal, everybody does it life. Steal your neighbor's TV and curse the name of God, then we'll see who the real sinner is.

Obesity and hair colour are not in the same ballpark.

For the large majority of people - their body size is a function of how they eat and the exercise they do. Those with metabolic disorders are a minority.

Hair colour is not chosen at all.

Why must we play this silly game? Someone gets offended and we must retreat from calling a spade a spade?

Gluttony is a sin, like it or not. Just like lust is a sin. Jealousy is a sin. Disrespecting others is a sin.

If you habitually over eat to the point of gluttony, and are habitually lazy, to the point of sloth, your body will eventually reflect your sin.

No one said you were bad. People called gluttony sin, and they were right to do so, because it is sin.

 

[98cwitr]

I can relate genetic obesity to homosexuality, because both are predispositions. That said, the sin comes in when you act on your impulse, not the predisposition itself. Non-genetic obesity is a direct result of gluttony, which can be linked to depression, vanity, and other social influences; these are worldly issues caused by a lack of focus on God and rather self/society. Im not on some high horse here, just stating facts. Fact remains that I am no better, but it does trouble me as does my own sin.