Gluttony/compulsive overeating

[Secret_Square]

I’d like to get some perspective on the following question: how serious a sin is compulsive overeating that leads to morbid obesity?

I have this problem. Right now I weigh almost 300 lbs and my BMI is over 40. I recently had a checkup and do not (yet) show any obvious signs of heart disease, incipient diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholestorol.

Generally speaking I am in good health and able to function, though I do get winded easily from climbing stairs, etc. I am tall and genuinely “big boned” but I know there is really no excuse for the weight I am at today. I am a 45-year-old woman with a family history of diabetes so I know I am at extra risk for this condition.

My weight has become a problem for my husband in several ways. He worries about my health, and the example I am setting for our daughter, who also has become overweight. It’s also become what I would have to call an occasion of sin for him in other ways (you can probably guess what they are).

To top it all off, I think my weight has even become an obstacle to convincing him to come back to the Church (he stopped going to Mass several years ago). How can I tell him to give up certain bad habits if I can’t give up mine? (We currently are, temporarily, not living together, but for reasons not related to any marital difficulties.)

With all that in mind, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps I’ve crossed the line into serious sin and should stop going to Communion until I’ve changed my ways and made serious progress losing weight. I have confessed overeating in the past, but now I wonder if I shouldn’t treat this as seriously as an alcohol or drug addiction. Or, should I treat any eating binges as if they were drinking or drug binges or sins of unchastity and start confessing them in number and kind.

I do NOT want to resort to bariatric surgery due to the medical risk and expense involved, plus I don’t think I’ve really, seriously, tried hard enough to lose weight the old-fashioned way just yet.

I do try to fast for both spiritual and physical reasons, but about nine times out of 10 I fail at it. I start the day intending to fast for a particular intention, then by late afternoon or evening I have a headache or am starting to feel lightheaded, so I give in and eat something and then end up pigging out.

I know about Overeaters Anonymous and did attend a few of their meetings many years ago. There are some groups in my area, including one that meets during the lunch hour (kind of appropriately enough I work full time and have an hour for lunch. I have considered going to this group’s meetings but inevitably, when the day arrives, I forget about it or something comes up, etc.

Please don’t think I’m being scrupulous or silly to ask this question. I’m not inclined to obsess about going to hell over every little thing, but the more I think about THIS particular problem the more parallels I see between it and alcoholism or drug addiction, which are unquestionably serious sins, so why should this be any different? (The only difference being that you can’t give up food “cold turkey” as you can alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, etc.) Any advice or perspective you all can give will be welcome. Thank you.

 

[EvelynEVF]

I think that your pondering of this is a very good sign. I also think that the last thing you should do is deprive yourself of Jesus in the Eucharist!

We all have our particular besetting sins, and the best cure is frequent confession and frequent communion. Sometimes it’s those sacramental graces that help me get over the initial hump to figure out what I can do to conquer whatever sin.

Go talk to a compassionate priest

 

[teachccd]

You took great lengths to express how much you realize how your overeating affects you and those around you. In my humble opinion, I would offer that your addiction to food is like any other addiction whereby proper intervention is in order. You will not be able to do this on your own. As far as sin is concerned, I would have to observe that your full consent is diminished by the compulsion of this addiction. You do NEED to speak with a good priest and then you need to discuss this with your physician.

I would think that since you recognize this disorder it is within your better judgment to seek professional help. God loves you regardless of your weight and He knows what’s best for you. Continue to receive the Eucharist, unless your priest advises otherwise for specific reasons not mentioned here, and utilize the sacrament of reconciliation. It seems that you would want your marriage to regain it’s previous status and that you want to set a good example for your daughter. My prayers are with you. I am off to Mass and I will pray for you… God bless…teachccd

 

[LilyM]

To me the clue is in the word ‘compulsive’.

I overeat many times. There are just as many times where I successfully exert control over my eating. For that reason I know that when I overeat it isn’t compulsion, it isn’t addiction - it’s just plain ol’ gluttony!

I’d agree with those who say that you need to treat it as you would an addiction to drugs, alcohol or gambling. Just to explain, addiction and compulsion actually LESSEN the subjective seriousness of the sins for those people who are genuinely addicted or genuinely suffer from a compulsion.

It’s the getting drunk or overeating when there is NO addiction or compulsion present that is the more serious sin. Like a murder is more serious when done in cold blood than, say, in a moment of extreme stress, provocation or madness.

I think it’s something you need to discuss with your priest, because a lot of your individual factors need to be taken into account, but probably not a mortal sin in your case.

 

[TLM08]

I’d like to get some perspective on the following question: how serious a sin is compulsive overeating that leads to morbid obesity?

I have this problem. Right now I weigh almost 300 lbs and my BMI is over 40. I recently had a checkup and do not (yet) show any obvious signs of heart disease, incipient diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholestorol.

Generally speaking I am in good health and able to function, though I do get winded easily from climbing stairs, etc. I am tall and genuinely “big boned” but I know there is really no excuse for the weight I am at today. I am a 45-year-old woman with a family history of diabetes so I know I am at extra risk for this condition.

My weight has become a problem for my husband in several ways. He worries about my health, and the example I am setting for our daughter, who also has become overweight. It’s also become what I would have to call an occasion of sin for him in other ways (you can probably guess what they are).

To top it all off, I think my weight has even become an obstacle to convincing him to come back to the Church (he stopped going to Mass several years ago). How can I tell him to give up certain bad habits if I can’t give up mine? (We currently are, temporarily, not living together, but for reasons not related to any marital difficulties.)

With all that in mind, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps I’ve crossed the line into serious sin and should stop going to Communion until I’ve changed my ways and made serious progress losing weight. I have confessed overeating in the past, but now I wonder if I shouldn’t treat this as seriously as an alcohol or drug addiction. Or, should I treat any eating binges as if they were drinking or drug binges or sins of unchastity and start confessing them in number and kind.

I do NOT want to resort to bariatric surgery due to the medical risk and expense involved, plus I don’t think I’ve really, seriously, tried hard enough to lose weight the old-fashioned way just yet.

I do try to fast for both spiritual and physical reasons, but about nine times out of 10 I fail at it. I start the day intending to fast for a particular intention, then by late afternoon or evening I have a headache or am starting to feel lightheaded, so I give in and eat something and then end up pigging out.

I know about Overeaters Anonymous and did attend a few of their meetings many years ago. There are some groups in my area, including one that meets during the lunch hour (kind of appropriately enough I work full time and have an hour for lunch. I have considered going to this group’s meetings but inevitably, when the day arrives, I forget about it or something comes up, etc.

Please don’t think I’m being scrupulous or silly to ask this question. I’m not inclined to obsess about going to hell over every little thing, but the more I think about THIS particular problem the more parallels I see between it and alcoholism or drug addiction, which are unquestionably serious sins, so why should this be any different? (The only difference being that you can’t give up food “cold turkey” as you can alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, etc.) Any advice or perspective you all can give will be welcome. Thank you.

I believe most people become heavy because they have turned off their body’s true internal hunger signals and instead are eating because of false hunger cues… The growling tummy and the light headed feeling are true signs that our body really needs food. Whenever we eat before the body signals the need, some of that food gets stored as fat for later use. If we never allow ourselves to feel the growl, we steadily gain weight. It’s really that simple in most cases.
Watch a naturally thin person for a while. Most of them rarely eat unless they have a growling belly.

The “Thin Within” program by Judy Halliday addresses this better than anyone I have ever heard. It’s not necessarily WHAT we eat as it is WHY we eat. If you want a piece of cake, have it with your dinner… or wait until you get that “growl”. Overeaters anonymous has worked for a lot of people too, but they are really into each other’s lives a bit too much.

Try to wait until you feel that first “growl” before you eat. Then eat whatever you want but stop before you feel too full. You will be absolutely shocked how long it takes before you feel that growl come back. When it does, repeat… then repeat… The body is a self regulating organism and if you are too heavy, will actually burn a small amount of body fat before signaling with the next growl. The trick is waiting for the growl, eat what you want, then stopping before you you feel that “too full” feeling. It works!

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Gluttony is a sin, just like lust. How serious is a question you should take up with your priest. As others have said, your compulsivness and habits actaully lessen your culpability.

You seem to have the tools at hand to conquer this issue–motivation, doctor, support groups, etc. Please do take it as seriously as you would realizing that you had a drinking problem and work to overcome this.

I do not think you should deny yourself the Holy Eucharist though. Please speak to your priest and follow his advice in spiritual matters.

 

[cassman]

Gluttony is a sin, just like lust. How serious is a question you should take up with your priest. As others have said, your compulsivness and habits actaully lessen your culpability.

You seem to have the tools at hand to conquer this issue–motivation, doctor, support groups, etc. Please do take it as seriously as you would realizing that you had a drinking problem and work to overcome this.

I do not think you should deny yourself the Holy Eucharist though. Please speak to your priest and follow his advice in spiritual matters.

This is the best advice I have seen on this site in a long time! Gluttony can be a mortal sin. You are harming the temple of God (your body). Absolutely consult a trusted confessor about this!

 

[NCOtto]

I’m not a Moral Theologin Fr. Ed Dowling SJ the Jesuit priest who befriended the Co-Founders of AA has an interesting perspective on this issue. Digging much deeper into his writings he claims to have had the same addiction to solid alcohol as his friends did to C2H5OH. I guess if they were sinning then so was the good Jesuit. I feel that Alcoholism, Gluttony/compulsive overeating etc have only a spiritual solution. American Medical Association have said some things about Alcoholism & Gluttony. There is going to be about 50K - 60K alcoholics in San Antonio on July 4th. Bars & Liquor stores are probablly seeing $$$.

 

[Cupofkindness]

The key to losing any weight for the rest of your life is obedience. The Light Weigh Catholic weight loss program teaches the importance of obedience. And so does a program like Weight Watchers, if you don’t work the program, it won’t bring about the changes you seek. I see LW as another tool, and one of the most important tools, to losing weight. I do think the program is short on nutritional and fitness information. You cannot deny the benefits of physical activity. You must exercise. Muscle=metabolism, and while I’m not advocating a weight-lifters physique, you must strengthen yourself through weight and aerobic training as you are able to. The material is perhaps 12-14 years old, and more is known about health than was available in the mid-1990s. So some of the things Suzanne Fowler tells you to do seem a bit inappropriate or lacking to me, but that’s just my two cents. However, the ideas about spiritual obedience, the Ignatian spiritual exercises and St. Therese are priceless. Well worth the $135. That’s about three months of Weight Watchers fees. Another notion of Light Weigh is grasping that your stomach can only hold so much food unless it is so stretched out by constant overeating. Anatomically speaking, for most of us women, that is about 20-24 ounces. Light Weigh has you cut back your portions to about 12 ounces per meal. Roughly, the size of a large mug. This is how you measure your food per meal, and then you only eat when you feel a pang of hunger to the level of a stomach growl. So eat a half-sized portion just when you are really hungry. You will lose weigh and quickly. On Light Weigh, I eat about four times per day, plus a small, healthy snack before bedtime.

I lost a tremendous amount of weight with Weight Watchers. Light Weigh has helped me whittle off the last few pounds but more importantly gain some perspective. However, others in my group are really struggling. It’s the obedience thing… and that takes humility. It’s like the first step in AA. You have to admit that you are powerless and that you cannot do it on your own. This acknowledgement will bring you to your knees, begging God for His grace. Light Weigh is priceless in that it will change the way you see yourself vis a vis the sin of overeating. The other idea of Light Weigh is the need for sacrifice. Rather than having that last bite of cheesecake, offer it up for someone who needs the sacrifice more than you need the cheesecake. This is very good for the soul. Light Weigh isn’t easy, but if nothing else works for you I would recommend it. It might take a long time to lose the weight, but if you are faithful, you will lose the weight eventually. I have also read the “Body for Life” book by Bill Phillips. It is a very sound approach to fitness with excellent information about exercise. Don’t think that this book isn’t for you just because there is a handsome young man on the cover–it is excellent reading. Many good Catholics that I know do a “Body for Life” approach to fitness, it is the best way time-wise and money-wise to keep yourself very healthy. My husband lost 10 lbs of fat, not by eating differently, but by exercising faithfully, over a twelve week period. The difference was visible and he looked 5 years younger too. So your weigh loss resources need to address the spiritual, food, and physical aspects of you, not to mention any other practical or medical issues you may face.

Finally, don’t despair, just make a small change, a simple beginning. Baby steps are the key to any growth. God loves you, don’t give up, be faithful.