Dealing with the Capital Sin of Gluttony

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CD_Michels

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Another thread brought attention to the Capital Sin of Gluttony, but fell very off topic and I wanted to expand the conversation most specifically about gluttony in and of itself.
I am sure we all know of one or two people in our lives that have fallen into the sin of gluttony, whether it is through excessive drinking or eating.
Has anyone had any experience in approaching these people about it? Was the individual aware their actions were sinful? What was the reaction?

Just to clarify ahead of time: Being fat is not a sin of gluttony. There are too many factors that can lead to a person being overweight. This is NOT a thread about overweight people!

CCC 1857 states: For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: ‘Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.’
CCC 1860:The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders."

As I said before, in the other thread, if one finds themselves unintentionally full or drunk and then stops eating or drinking is not in mortal sin. It is when someone who is already full or drunk that decides to continue eating/drinking that it falls into greater sin.
 
Don’t know anyone affected by it directly…

or, well, actually, diabetes is rampant where I live. Sounds a little strange maybe but we have an “epidemic”. All due to the fiesta food. Guam is infamous for visitors gaining pounds when they come here, or new residents putting on some weight.

Gluttony leads also to other sins, as it trains us to give into our bodily impulses. We adopt a lack of discipline. And we can set ourselves up for failure with temptation, especially sins against chastity because it also deals with the body.
 
catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33754

this is actually I would say a very common sin. I mean the venial kind.

One can call this “intemperance”…

Intemperance in eating is going to be normally a venial sin…

not to say that makes it ok. Of course not.

but many will find such sins in their lives…
 
i know a few gluttonous people, but i havn’t had to approach them about it because they are aware of it and are trying to overcome it, it really is something that you feel the effects of more profoundly and it can really get out of control, and you don’t want to be a slave to it, which i’m told that that’s what it feels like, like you’re a slave to your stomach,
they do know it’s sinful, but you know, we all have our vices, and i can’t really say that gluttony is worse then any other vice, i think that each vice is simply worse then another depending on how much you give in to it,

there is actually more to gluttony then excess eating or drinking, it’s also gluttony when you are to picky with what you eat, like when someone will eat *Only *the finest foods, especially when those foods are to expensive for you and cause those who are dependent on you to suffer,
or if your to picky in eating only what you love, or refusing food because it’s not exactly how you want it,
and also eating what you know is bad for your health(especially if it’s seriously bad for you, like if you have heart problems or diabetes or something)

so the proper definition of gluttony is not just eating and drinking to excess, but instead it is inordinate desire for the pleasure connected with food or drink,

but don’t worry, gluttony is actually only rarely a mortal sin except in cases of drunkenness or like those who stuff themselves and then force themselves to vomit,
or those who make food their God, who live for food, who are willing to offend God just to have the food they love, or willing to deprive their family for it…or some other extreme case along those lines.

but as for venial sins of gluttony, there is actually one main cause, and it’s not just about eating or drinking to excess, it’s simply about putting to much importance on food,
venial sins would be like, being to fussy or picky with your food, you know, like it has to be just right, or if there’s something in the food you don’t like then you won’t touch it, or you will only eat particular things.
also being impatient with your food, like “i want what i want and i want it when i want it”, or, “i want it good and i want it now”, like eating when you want and not eating when everyone else does at the family table, or making your own food because you don’t like what moms making,
another form of gluttony is eating to fast, like inhaling your food, which is something that is actually bad for you, because remember that digestion starts in the mouth, and as i’ve noticed and as i’ve been told by my doctor, eating to fast can cause obesity,

but remember, as i said, it becomes sinful when you put to much importance on food, there simply needs to be temperance, it’s ok to be alittle picky, it’s ok to have things your way as long as it’s not effecting others uncharitably, and it’s ok to eat more then you should when it’s just alittle snack or if it’s because someone offers it to you,
and it can actually be sinful to refuse someones offering, even if you are full, because it is by their charity that they offer it, and it would be uncharitable to refuse, of course i know that can sound ridiculous, and it’s obvious that it would not be sinful if you just couldn’t cram anymore down your throat, but the point is, it’s not the eating of the food itself that’s sinful, it’s the importance and greed and eagerness you put on the food that makes it sinful,

but again, gluttony is only rarely ever a serious sin, so although it’s good to try and overcome all our sins, it’s not something to freak out about,

however, there are remedies, the obvious things - prayer, the sacraments, adoration,
and then of course temperance, which is the practice of self control and moderation, and is for controlling our lower passions,
and then also mortification, which is the practice of self denial, denying yourself, self discipline, which on the natural side trains you to have control over your will, there is also a supernatural side of mortification, but i won’t get into that right now,
ok and another means is fasting, which is better then dieting because fasting is the church’s choice,
fasting helps you greatly, if you are physically able, it gives you many graces and merits and helps you to keep your passions in check, so not only are you battling gluttony, you are battling lust as well,
fasting also helps in fighting temptations from the devil, because it is a very powerful type of prayer against him, so whether you are tempted to gluttony by the devil or yourself or the world, you are fighting it all by fasting, by both the natural and spiritual effects of it, by the natural because it is a type of discipline, and by the spiritual because it is a type of prayer and penance,

and then another sure way to overcome gluttony is simply to turn your attention away from food and towards God, it is a sure way, because why do you think we have an inordinate desire for anything at all? it is because we are trying to fill the void within ourselves,
you love food to much when you do not love God enough or at all, you love material things for the same reason, or people, or animals, or anything else,
now of course that’s not to say you shouldn’t enjoy those things, God does want us to be happy and enjoy what He has created for us, but when those things become the most important focus in our lives, when we try to fill the empty void in ourselves with those things, then it is a problem,
God alone can fill us completely, and it is God we should seek, all of us, we are all created and called to live in God and God in us, and it is the lack of God in our hearts and in our lives that creates these voids inside, and so we try to fill the void with what temporarily satisfies, but as we know, all things pass, and we are always left empty,
so the answer in this and in all things, in simply to seek God.

ok i think i wrote enough…so that’s all, tc.
 
People often think gluttony is just either drinking until drunk or eating past fullness. But the body adapts to a person’s habits. A man who eats 10 burgers may not feel like he’s over stuffing himself because he’s used to it. So it’s difficult to define gluttony based on what the body feels because it can adapt to bad habits.

I myself can say that I’ve definitely dealt with (ahem, am still dealing with) this type of sin. It’s difficult because, for the above reason I mentioned, I cannot know when I’m drawing the line. I can eat a pint of icecream without feeling full (assuming I did not have dinner already) or eat a bag full of candy and feel nothing in my stomach (but the guilt is defintiely there).

What’s also difficult is not knowing when such an act is venial or mortal. I only know that such acts have been a result of an addiction to food, and the “need” to feel full ( I personally think most ppl in this country feel like they haven’t eaten enough until somewhat full). I find it ignorant for anyone to think a glutton must be obese, because I most assuredly am not. After all, gluttony is not just about how much you eat, but also about drink, and about “special preferences” for certain food.

Overcoming it is difficult, considering that most people dealing with this have an addiction of some sort. Most people know they have that kind of struggle with sin, so it’s not a matter of pointing it out (that is humiliating) as it is a matter of allowing them to vulnerably admit it to another and then allowing themselves to be encouraged by understanding individuals.

I personally have recently felt God calling me (more than once) to consider counting calories as a means of maintaining control, for it’s in this way (of knowing how many calories your body needs to survive) that you can know where to draw the line and how much to allow yourself to indulge. I’ve yet to start and it’s weird that I must even consider doing this because I’ve always been the kind to make fun of people who do count their calories (seriously, I mean how can you keep track of everything when not everything has labels?). Not to mention that I’m quite the picky eater (Idk if that’s also considered gluttony?). So there’s my 2 cents from a recovering glutton. Any thoughts?:confused:
 
A verse to meditate on, in general, and perhaps specifically in reference here, is Ps 24:1

The earth is the LORD’S and all it holds,
the world and those who live there. (NAB)

Our bodies belong to God and we should treat “HIS” body with the respect it deserves.

That might be extended to food, drink, drugs, driving fast, etc. with respect to ourselves and with respect towards others as well.
 
While I realize you said it’s not a thread about fat people, someone who is not fat can’t really be that gluttonous can they (unless of course they exercise for hours and hours every day)?

And fat people are always trying to lose weight (as evidenced by the profits the diet industry takes in), so they’re fighting their gluttony.
 
flyingfish said:
While I realize you said it’s not a thread about fat people, someone who is not fat can’t really be that gluttonous can they (unless of course they exercise for hours and hours every day)?

And fat people are always trying to lose weight (as evidenced by the profits the diet industry takes in), so they’re fighting their gluttony.
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what makes it gluttony is not how much you eat, it’s how much importance you put on food, and it can also be gluttonous to neglect your health by not eating as much as you need, depending on the reason.

drinking to the point of drunkenness is also gluttony,
so it’s really not a matter of weight gain, it’s just about making food your God, loving it to much, becoming a slave to it…and skinny people can have this vice just as easily, although it may not be mortally sinful for either the skinny or the fat depending on to what degree they are gluttonous, but as i said before, it’s only rarely a mortal sin.
 
Gluttony and being overweight have NO correlation. Many skinny people can go binge drinking (and eating) and because of a fast metabolism, of because they starve themselves the rest of the time, never gain weight from it. Many overweight people got that way by eating a hundred or two calories over what they burned, which over a year, can equal 30 lbs of weight gain.

I have several friends who, even in their mid to upper 20s, still binge drink at least 3-4 times a week. I think the sin of gluttony very well describes their situation, and describes my discomfort with their actions, that I had trouble describing before I became Catholic. I must say, however, I’m not sure I can say I’ve ever known anyone to EAT as a glutton. What qualifies? Eating a whole pizza? Eating an excess of dessert? Perhaps eating an entire apple pie or something similar? I think its pretty difficult to draw the line–if someone is still hungry, and the food is good and available, I have a hard time imagining even a devout person saying “Well, I’d like to eat more, but then I’d be a guilty of gluttony.” Perhaps gluttony now pretty much solely describes alcohol consumption?
 
CD_Michels said:
I am sure we all know of one or two people in our lives that have fallen into the sin of gluttony, whether it is through excessive drinking or eating.
Has anyone had any experience in approaching these people about it? Was the individual aware their actions were sinful? What was the reaction?
Click to expand...
we know nothing of the kind. We do not know definitely that anyone is in a state of sin. If they exhibit sinful behaviors, neither do we know the extent of their guilt or culpability nor the extent of their struggles or anything about how God is working in them through those struggles. If you approach someone secure in the knowledge that they are sinning you are sure to fail because your approach is based on a fallacy.

Take a cue from AA and Al-Anon for instance if you need to confront someone about their drinking because it is harming them and the people around them, and the approach that works is not judgemental or accusatory. If you are being counselled on how to stage an intervention, your approach will not be the way to do it.

If you are truly motivated by love for those who are hurting themselves your best first approach will be first to confront your own demons of sin and gain strength in fighting them before you come at others with accusations.
 
Given that the sin of gluttony has been here applied to drinking, can it be applied to smoking?

Scientists recently found evidence of a “smoking gene” which makes one addicted or more likely to take up smoking. For example, I’m pretty sure I dont’ have the gene, because for a year, I lived with two flatmates who basically smoked like chimnies. I managed to get one of them to quit, but when the second flat mate moved in, he smoked, and the other guy started smoking. I was surrounded by it all the time, and three chest infections and a nagging cough I still didn’t have the desire to pick up a fag.

But then I know someone who smokes a lot, but can quit for months on end without craving.

So, what having a “smoking gene” deminish your responsibility for yoru actions, and be an “addiction”, whereas not having the gene, or smoking regardless as a “social” which ends in chain smoking, would be extremely sinful?
 
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