Faith Based Diets: Does God Punish You For Being
Fat?
by Tom Venuto,
NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
Faith based diets have been around for decades.
But is overeating really a sin? Does God punish
you for being fat? A recent column in an issue
of USA Today answers, “weight loss is
hard enough without feeling that the almighty
is on your back, too”…
Recently, I was sitting in a wonderful little
breakfast “parlor” on Main Street
in Santa Monica (California), enjoying a bowl
of oatmeal, a mountain of fresh fruit and a
“sexy omelette” (the bodybuilder’s
favorite). There was even a “Schwarzenegger
omelette” on the menu - I kid you not!
Although the usual dietary temptations are omnipresent
everywhere, I noticed a lot more healthy eateries
and healthy options on menus out here, which
is okay by me! It seems like people are much
more health conscious in Southern California
compared to back home in the New Jersey/New
York City area.
One thing is for sure - people are definitely
in better shape. No doubt, it’s partly
due to the year-round beautiful weather. You
can’t hide under those winter coats in
this weather! When I left Newark airport it
was a blustery 37 degrees. It’s 77 degrees
and sunny as I sit here on my hotel balcony,
laptop on my lap, overlooking the palm trees
and Pacific ocean.
A friend of mine once said that “Palm
trees are God’s way of saying, LIVE HERE!”
Speaking of God, that brings me to the subject
of this article. As I was finishing up the last
few bites of my high protein omelette, I came
across an article in USA Today that I simply
HAD to pass on to you because it’s related
to some of the weight loss work I’ve been
recently doing and it bears some important lessons.
The column, written by Christine Whelan, a
professor of sociology, said that religious
diet groups are growing in number and some of
them say that “God might not approve of
that second piece of pie.” In fact, some
of these groups, reported Whelan, warn that
God will punish you for overeating and being
fat. The Weigh Down Workshop, one of the most
“hard-line” of such groups, tells
their participants that God will “destroy
you” if you abuse your body by overeating.
Well, we’ve certainly heard of gluttony
referred to as a deadly sin, but is this going
a little too far?”
I’m not sure what other people think,
but I prefer to think of God as a loving God,
who does not punish a person in the hereafter
for being fat in this life. But then again,
why would he have to? He has created a magnificent
physical world based on immutable physical laws
of cause and effect, reward and consequence,
which mete out all the “punishment”
needed, right here in this life: diabetes, hypertension,
heart disease, osteoarthritis, gout, and even
cancer. All of them are linked to obesity. Combined
with the emotional pain of being overweight
and the lower quality (and sometimes quantity)
of life, I’d say that’s punishment
enough, wouldn’t you?
But enough of my theological viewpoint, I found
some tremendously valuable practical lessons
in the newspaper article.
I don’t believe that instilling guilt
or fear of eternal damnation is an uplifting
way to change behavior. Perhaps it might be
effective for some, as fear of consequences
can be a powerful motivator. But aren’t
there more positive ways to achieve behavior
modification than hellfire and brimstone?
For example, metaphors are also powerful motivators,
especially because metaphors are language that
your unconscious mind can understand. Didn’t
Jesus teach in parables and metaphors? What
if you said your body was like a temple? Would
you behave differently? Would you look after
your “temple” with more care? Those
with spiritual beliefs almost certainly would,
if they kept that in mind and believed it on
a deep level.
In my books, I delve into the emotional, psychological
and social aspects of body fat loss.
Some of the chapters are devoted to teaching
you how to build a fortress of positive, uplifting,
inspiring energy around you in the form of positive,
uplifting, and inspiring people. But many of
my readers and clients tell me this is easier
said than done in their world. “What am
I supposed to do when peer pressure from my
friends is pulling me down?” “What
do I do if my own family won’t support
my new, healthier choices? What if they keep
bringing potato chips, cookies and ice cream
into the house?” “What if no one
supports me?”
Enter spiritual diet support groups. Not all
of these groups are so extreme as to pronounce
that being fat is a sin. And as Whelan put it,
“religion may be the ultimate trump card
of many behavior modification programs.”
No matter how independent we are, we all need
support in our journeys toward personal improvement.
It’s the great paradox of succeeding in
any endeavor in life - you have to do it by
yourself, but you can’t do it alone.
Spiritual communities and religious support
groups can be the last refuge of support and
encouragement for some people. For anyone with
spiritual beliefs, these groups may be one of
the best places of all to turn for social support.
There’s your church, synagogue, mosque
or other place of worship. There are also organized
weight loss support groups.
One such group mentioned in the USA Today article
is BABES - Beautiful Accountable Babes Exercising
Sensibly. The mission of babes is “connecting
with others to lose weight and build friendships.”
Accountability. Exercising. Connecting with
others. That all sounds pretty sensible to me!
Moreover, according to BABES co-founder, Barb
Swanson, “we are not into sin and judgement.
God wants balance and it’s more than the
size that you are.”
Indeed it is. As I have said before, body fat
is not a person, it’s a temporary physical
condition. What we really are is far more than
physical bodies.
There’s enough guilt, fear and shame
for people who are struggling with weight issues
already. They don’t need any more negativity
from their spiritual leaders. Instead, if you
are a person of faith, use your spiritual community
as a source of social support and inspiration,
and motivate yourself by focusing on the positive
and uplifting side. It will pay you eternal
dividends.
I hope you found this helpful. You can learn
more about “Burn The Fat” at
www.BurnTheFat.com
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com
Reference: Effects of food form on appetite
and energy intake in lean and obese young adults.
International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Nov (11):1688-95.
Mourao DM, Bressan J, Campbell WW, Mattes RD.
Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University,
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA.
----------------------------------
About the Author:
Tom Venuto
is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal
trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is
the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,”
which teaches you how to get lean without drugs
or supplements using secrets of the world's
best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn
how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase
your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com
|
