“Weighty matter: Is religion making us fat?”
The above is the title of a very interesting article I found. Here are some excerpts from it. Purdue socialogist, Ken Ferraro conclusion is the acceptable vice in Christian circles is eating.
“So it’s not surprising that Ferraro’s latest study found that about 27 percent of Baptists, including Southern Baptists, North American Baptists, and Fundamentalist Baptist, were obese
Ferraro’s study also found that about 20 percent of “Fundamentalist Protestants,” (Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Assemblies of God and Church of God); about 18 percent of “Pietistic Protestants,” (Methodist, Christian Church and African Methodist Episcopal), and about 17 percent of Catholics were obese.
By contrast, about 1 percent of the Jewish population and less than 1 percent of other non-Christians, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others), were tipping the scales with commensurate gusto.
In religious traditions where drinking alcohol, smoking anything and even dancing are vices regularly preached against from the pulpit, overeating has become the “accepted vice,” Ferraro says.
Or, as Homer Simpson so eloquently put it on his way to a First Church of Springfield picnic: “If God didn’t want us to eat in church, he’d have made gluttony a sin.”
Before we all run out and join up with the one percent groups, maybe we should preach that gluttony is a sin. And if we don’t like that maybe we should exercise self control and push ourselves away from the table.
See “News Stories” for entire article.
thedailylily.com 
As I read your article and your comments above I was reminded of the ‘Remembrances’ from 2 Peter 1 we studied this summer from Sara’s book “Dance of Healing”. Listed in this passage is one of the major components that supplies us an entrance into the ‘everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’…self-control.
Sounds like pushing away from the table relates to this.
I spent a few years attending Southern Baptist churches and I agree we had lots of food and fun. I also think it was a great time of fellowship and a beautiful spirit of community. And also educational and inspirational.
Maybe we all should just consider changing our menus, from cookies to fruit, more vegs and less bread and pastas. There are times in community ‘eating’ whether church or other occasions is seems menu is for the ‘faint in heart.’
Maybe this writer should trying tailgate-ing at a football game and then write. Aren’t Christians there as well?
I love the community spirit whether it be church, sports or other occasions but I am for a change of menu in and out of church including my home. And let’s don’t forget our schools.
I guess the writer really feels that Christians are to blame for the obese problem in America!!!!
Today, “Today’s Show” had a segment on “Obese in America”, Southern states more obese, Miss. topping the list. And, poorer states more obese. I heard the comments it is not how much we eat but how we prepare our foods.
It is sad that as “Christians” we have not learned that salvation includes more than saving our souls. Perhaps our obsession with heaven makes us think we are immune to the impact of unhealthy eating. When the Bible talks about saving us, I think it speaks to more than just saving our souls. I think it speaks to healing our minds, attitudes and thoughts. We need healing in the area of self-discilpine. If we exercised self-control in our eating and got up and walked a little we may reverse the obesity problems in our life. And “Christians” wouldn’t have the shame of displaying to the world that their relationship with Jesus has not impacted their undisciplined and selfish lifestyle.
NOT THAT LONG AGO A TELEVISION PROGRAM INDICATED THAT AMERICANS IN GENERAL WERE 20-50% HEAVIER THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY. I DO ENJOY MY FOOD. BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW EXERCISING CONTROL NOT TO TAKE THAT LAST PORK CHOP IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. THE MEDIA ENTISES US TO EAT. WHY DONT THEY STOP FOOD COMMERCIALS JUST LIKE THEY HAVE STOPPED CIGARETTE COMMERCIALS. SMOKING IS NO GOOD FOR YOU AND NEITHER IS OVER EATING. THEY BOTH LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS.
Sorry, Jersey but as Americans we are no longer alone in being obese. The world is catching up with us. We have exported our way of life to them and they are catching on fast. See News Stories for “How the rest of the world got as fat as we are”.