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Obesity as a Spiritual Problem, the Vice of Gluttony?

There's a lot of talk of the "obesity epidemic" and this is often discussed in scientific terms, about "counting calories" to lose weight, or fad weight loss diets (which can work), or just "exercising more and eating less"

But I've thought from time to time that maybe this is more of a spiritual problem of the sin of gluttony, and as such it may not be as easily solved by self-will and discipline, but by the grace of God through people undergoing holy fasts for the good of soul and body

What do you think about the spiritual dimension of the "obesity epidemic", or the traditional idea of the sin of gluttony?

Catholic encyclopedia on gluttony: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06590a.htm

Aquinas on gluttony: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3148.htm

#religion #spirituality #discussions #Christian #Christianity

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Discussion

CP 2y ago

While there is the issue of sin of gluttony through overeating or stress eating, the thing the Lord has opened my eyes to is regarding our bodies as temples and treating them as such. See 1 Corinthians 6:19.

What this means for our family is a high fat (the food of priests in the OT) high protein, low (or no) carb diet. Limited or no processed foods. My wife and I collectively are down 60 lbs in 3 months.

This has eliminated cravings quite honestly and for a good portion of that 90 days we were going for 18 hour intermittent fasting.

Eating good, natural food as God intended has naturally taken us away from overeating garbage food. Obviously we are not perfect every day, but the effects even in our failures from time to time have been awesome and more than we have hoped or achieved through calorie counting efforts.