Gluttony and Our Health

Posted by Lorren on August 6, 2008

There is one little sin that most churches in America won’t talk about, for fear of being driven out of town: gluttony.

A long time ago, gluttony was a bad thing. Of course, back then, food was really expensive, and the only people that could afford to be gluttons were very rich people and kings. A long time ago, there were lots of people that did not get enough to eat, so being a glutton not only was a sin for that reason, but it was a sin because people would eat beyond being full, and they wouldn’t share their food with the starving.

Today, even many of the poor find themselves overfed. Often the food that is the least expensive is the calorically dense, nutritionally poor food that is often labeled “junk food.”

If our bodies are temples, we should treat it well. We shouldn’t overeat.

Gluttony is a sin that has obvious effects. If we eat like gluttons for too long, we start to get larger than we are supposed to. Sometimes it has long-lasting effects like diabetes or other diseases, plus we might find it harder to do the work we are supposed to do.

I confess, I am guilty of the sin of gluttony. Otherwise I wouldn’t be talking about it. I have been trying to get over it’s effects. I’m trying to exercise more. I got my Wii Fit, and I’ve been doing free step while watching television. I’m keeping a notebook to track all the food I eat. And so far I’ve lost 5 pounds.

I’ve joined the Healthy You Challenge, and if you’re also sick of having extra pounds, whether because you’ve been a glutton like me, or if you have a medical condition that has caused you to gain weight, I challenge you to join me. Being overweight is not something we necessarily have to accept and live with forever, we can do something about it! I’m supposed to update my blog on Healthy You updates on Tuesdays, but I forgot and it’s Wednesday.

Link to my blog’s weight loss page.