Is Obesity a Sin?

[MrsMcD]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

I have only read the first post... but I will comment on this.

1, Obesity is a symptom. A result.
2. Obesity can never and would never be a sin because obesity is not an action.
3. Gluttony is a sin.
4. There are definitely gluttons and that is a sin. But not all obese people are the result of gluttony and not all gluttons are fat.
5. Some "skinny" people eat more than some "fat" people. Which one will be called the glutton? There are many factors. Lineage, metabolism, activity rate, living in a country where high carb/low fiber foods are the norm. I am not saying "It's not their fault". I am saying it isn't as simple as you are making it.

I have more points to make... but I will stop here.

It is very easy to make a post about other people and their physical condition when each of us has a totally different set of circumstances, historical family leanings, metabolic rates, monetary ability to purchase good foods etc.

It is very easy to file it all nicely in a nutshell and even preface the post with a question that pulls a null sum.

To answer your question... again...

Obesity is not, never has been and will never be a sin. Obesity is not an action... it is a result.

Good Point!

[Mercy]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Find people who enjoy getting out, who have the same desire as you to shed the pounds and get in shape.

I remember gaining a lot of weight when I first got saved, in part because all the things I did before to not gain (going to parties/clubs with my friends and dancing for hours) was taken away. All of the "things" people did for fun in the church I was attending centered around food. They all had families and didnt want to do anything outside of that. So I was left trying to do things alone, which ended up being nothing. And the chubbiness began...

Now, 8 years later, I am getting a handle on it because I dont want to die due to something I could have prevented. But I do think there should be more "fun" and "active" activities offered as fellowship opportunities through church. Especially if you attend a church that pulls you away from you "unsaved" friends.

My 2 cents of my experience.

[Timmy]

If ya overeat, yer as lost as two boys kissing!

(That's my new favorite expression. )

[@Peace]

Originally Posted by Kae

Malnutrition causes obesity...

Yes, partially. Agreed.

Originally Posted by Kae

It is hard to find nutrient rich foods these days.

What?

Does your groccery store have a produce section? Does it sell whole wheat bread? Do you understand what one serving means?

But seriously, I would agree that this condition usually comes from a perfect storm of misunderstanding, a resulting poor diet and imbalanced portioning... But then there are those that know and they just choose not to do anything about it. Just like any other bad decision. How many people don't know that eating pizza and burgers all the time and passing over salads with low fat dressing will make your body bulge? How many don't know that eating when you're not truly hungry or past the full alert is going to lead to caloric storage. Seriously... "My people die for lack of knowledge."

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by @Peace

Jermyn,

I would first challenge your statement inferring that there are many cases where obesity is a condition, "beyond control". In my opinion, that is so rare, it is as bad as saying abortions are often necessary to save the life of the mother. It just really doesn't happen that often. I will guarantee you that 99% of the time it is a soul condition, not a medical one, that leads to obesity. If you don't believe, take a trip to a country where food is less accessible, diets are not so high in fats and animal products, and you will find the skinny Christians are the majority. To cover your question about fatness being sin, I do agree with ForeverBlessed, it is the gluttony, the lack of self control which is the sin, and is not constrained to this one area of our lives, nevertheless being overweight is a shame to the wearer of that extra poundage and a bad witness to those looking for a changed life in Christ. If I wasn't saved, I don't believe I would easily receive a message of change from a morbidly obese preacher.

-Nick

Let's compare heart disease to obesity instead of abortions.

Would you be willing to put yourself on the line and state that it's lifestyle over genetics that is responsible for heart disease today?

You'd be wrong. You are also incorrect that obesity is mostly due to people making bad choices or overeating. That's what all the skinny people think, but it's far from the truth.

It's also not bad choices, but different lifestyles that are also responsible. People 100 years ago were thinner, but guess what? The average life expectancy was 47. Yes, people died of heart failure while in their 40's.

We also have processed foods, instant everything, and we are more busy and don't exercise like we should.

But back to genetics. You mentioned other countries where people are thinner. Well, that tells you right there genetics is involved, in addition to other lifestyles.

Look at families in your church. Ever notice that fatter kids tend to have fat parents? Skinny kids have skinny parents? I challenge you to find out if both families actually share the same lifestyle, but because of genetics, they 'process' life totally different.

Also, there are other diseases that make people large. Type 2 diabetes is one. Congestive heart failure is another. Mostly anything heart related will cause people to gain weight. Underactive thyroid will also cause it.

There are so many variables, so we cannot rightly judge people for being obese due to bad lifestyle choices when we just don't know. And for most, even those who refuse to leave the buffet on Sunday afternoon, we still don't know what made them that way. Obese people aren't the only ones that can't say no to the buffet.

[HeavenlyOne]

It's sad to see people speak about not wanting to hear what an overweight preacher has to say merely because of his appearance.

I suppose you don't stop at just preachers, but you must be turned off by anyone who is that way. How sad.

I hope none of you who posted the above thoughts come to the Gathering in Jackson because if you do, I don't want to meet you. I can't imagine what you might think of me based on my appearance.

BTW, in case you might want to approach me but don't know who I am, I'll be the skinny girl hugging on the fat folks that I call my friends.

[ILG]

Some people have a propensity towards depression, some, obesity and some, alcohol. I don't think it's fair to judge overweight people and put them in a category that is worse than any other. Bottom line, we are responsible to overcome our own issues. Only the people who give up and don't care need to change. The rest are trying.

[@Peace]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

Let's compare heart disease to obesity instead of abortions.

Would you be willing to put yourself on the line and state that it's lifestyle over genetics that is responsible for heart disease today?

You'd be wrong. You are also incorrect that obesity is mostly due to people making bad choices or overeating. That's what all the skinny people think, but it's far from the truth.

It's also not bad choices, but different lifestyles that are also responsible. People 100 years ago were thinner, but guess what? The average life expectancy was 47. Yes, people died of heart failure while in their 40's.

We also have processed foods, instant everything, and we are more busy and don't exercise like we should.

But back to genetics. You mentioned other countries where people are thinner. Well, that tells you right there genetics is involved, in addition to other lifestyles.

Look at families in your church. Ever notice that fatter kids tend to have fat parents? Skinny kids have skinny parents? I challenge you to find out if both families actually share the same lifestyle, but because of genetics, they 'process' life totally different.

Also, there are other diseases that make people large. Type 2 diabetes is one. Congestive heart failure is another. Mostly anything heart related will cause people to gain weight. Underactive thyroid will also cause it.

There are so many variables, so we cannot rightly judge people for being obese due to bad lifestyle choices when we just don't know. And for most, even those who refuse to leave the buffet on Sunday afternoon, we still don't know what made them that way. Obese people aren't the only ones that can't say no to the buffet.

First, for the record, I personally hold no grudge against the fat ones. I love, respect and recognize all members of God's church, and have been there myself. Please do not misconstrue my opinions on obesity's causality as hate speech. That said, I do have some knowledge in this area which leads me to my position. See, I have what is called a mesomorphic body type. We are the ones who gain both fat and muscle very easily. Some we call us the stocky ones. I have personally fought for my skinny, studied out and practiced weight control, human biology, nutrition and bodybuilding seriously for many years. I found that if we eat and are active in the way God designed us to be, diseases don't just happen, and neither will obesity (God forbid I crown that condition as a disease). To use the aforementioned paradigm, any bodybuilder will tell you that genetics, indeed, are a big factor in their sport. However, while they do dictate the level of effort required to achieve a "fighting" physique, they do not bind an individual to be one way or the other. If there is one thing I do hate, and one philosophy I love debunking it is determinism. While I do not disagree that a person may be more at risk for heart disease if their grandparents have it, that doesn't mean it's not preventable or curable using the resources God gave us. And, yes, I concede that different peoples of the world do indeed have different genetics, yes. People from Ghana are better runners and Japanese people are like human calculators. (Does that sound right to you?) So, do we conclude that only Anglo's and Mexican's have the fat gene? No, I say the fat kid is probably fat because his parents eat fat food, and the government doensn't make us eat processed foods either! (yet)



Please do not be offended, I say this all love and in the spirit of friendly debate! If someone can convince me that fat just happens, I'll believe you! It just may take a bit more work.

Still @Peace.

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by @Peace

First, for the record, I personally hold no grudge against the fat ones. I love, respect and recognize all members of God's church, and have been there myself. Please do not misconstrue my opinions on obesity's causality as hate speech. That said, I do have some knowledge in this area which leads me to my position. See, I have what is called a mesomorphic body type. We are the ones who gain both fat and muscle very easily. Some we call us the stocky ones. I have personally fought for my skinny, studied out and practiced weight control, human biology, nutrition and bodybuilding seriously for many years. I found that if we eat and are active in the way God designed us to be, diseases don't just happen, and neither will obesity (God forbid I crown that condition as a disease). To use the aforementioned paradigm, any bodybuilder will tell you that genetics, indeed, are a big factor in their sport. However, while they do dictate the level of effort required to achieve a "fighting" physique, they do not bind an individual to be one way or the other. If there is one thing I do hate, and one philosophy I love debunking it is determinism. While I do not disagree that a person may be more at risk for heart disease if their grandparents have it, that doesn't mean it's not preventable or curable using the resources God gave us. And, yes, I concede that different peoples of the world do indeed have different genetics, yes. People from Ghana are better runners and Japanese people are like human calculators. (Does that sound right to you?) So, do we conclude that only Anglo's and Mexican's have the fat gene? No, I say the fat kid is probably fat because his parents eat fat food, and the government doensn't make us eat processed foods either! (yet)



Please do not be offended, I say this all love and in the spirit of friendly debate! If someone can convince me that fat just happens, I'll believe you! It just may take a bit more work.

Still @Peace.

Not offended in the least.

But there are cultures of people who are predispositioned, like Hispanics, blacks, and Greeks, to have more body fat. The diseases that are high on the fatality list for those cultures are directly related to it as well, but even those who don't follow the fat 'protocol' can still die from the strokes and heart diseases. On the same token, there are people from those cultures who don't and instead die from old age. It's the luck of the draw, but statistically, they will fall into the normalcy of life and death according to their culture, regardless of the lifestyle they lead.

But, let's look at the European white folks, like Danes, Scots, and Finnys. They are a culture of thin people. They don't statistically have the diseases that end their lives prematurely. Many of them live to be in their 100's. Their culture is one where they eat to live, not live to eat, and they aren't caught up in so much that America is.

So, let's talk about America...a nation made up of all cultures. This is our biggest problem. We have introduced lifestyles that are detrimental to most of us. We live a lazy life and eat without a care in the world. This introduces diseases that are then passed on through the generations so that, even if our decendents don't follow suit, they inherit the genes that will take their lives much sooner than they'd like.

Now, let's go back to offenses. What offends me is people who will judge someone based on what their appearance is. To say that a fat man standing behind the pulpit talking about food makes you sick is offensive. It's also a horrible thing to say. I don't care to ever meet nor be friends with such people.

[MomOfADramaQn]

Originally Posted by @Peace

First, for the record, I personally hold no grudge against the fat ones. I love, respect and recognize all members of God's church, and have been there myself. Please do not misconstrue my opinions on obesity's causality as hate speech. That said, I do have some knowledge in this area which leads me to my position. See, I have what is called a mesomorphic body type. We are the ones who gain both fat and muscle very easily. Some we call us the stocky ones. I have personally fought for my skinny, studied out and practiced weight control, human biology, nutrition and bodybuilding seriously for many years. I found that if we eat and are active in the way God designed us to be, diseases don't just happen, and neither will obesity (God forbid I crown that condition as a disease). To use the aforementioned paradigm, any bodybuilder will tell you that genetics, indeed, are a big factor in their sport. However, while they do dictate the level of effort required to achieve a "fighting" physique, they do not bind an individual to be one way or the other. If there is one thing I do hate, and one philosophy I love debunking it is determinism. While I do not disagree that a person may be more at risk for heart disease if their grandparents have it, that doesn't mean it's not preventable or curable using the resources God gave us. And, yes, I concede that different peoples of the world do indeed have different genetics, yes. People from Ghana are better runners and Japanese people are like human calculators. (Does that sound right to you?) So, do we conclude that only Anglo's and Mexican's have the fat gene? No, I say the fat kid is probably fat because his parents eat fat food, and the government doensn't make us eat processed foods either! (yet)



Please do not be offended, I say this all love and in the spirit of friendly debate! If someone can convince me that fat just happens, I'll believe you! It just may take a bit more work.

Still @Peace.

You are SOOOO right but people don't want to hear this kind of stuff because it makes them accountable for their actions.