Is being Fat a sin?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John_of_Woking
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Dr. Colossus:
Sinfulness can be expiated by going to Reconciliation. Since being fat can’t be solved by a simple trip to the confessional (if only it were that easy!!), I would suggest that it is not sinful.
Click to expand...
I totally and positively agree!
 
40.png
jimmy:
. Many of the saints were fat.

QUOTE]

There was that saint that was a Borgia, the only one in the family, but I can’t remember his name. They had to cut out a semi-circle in the table so he could sit at it, he was so fat. And don’t forget Blessed John XXIII, of happy memory, not exactly petite. That said, the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (typed the smoker who can’t give up his pack-a-day jones!).:o
Click to expand...
 
What is the obsession on these forums with hypothetical questions about sin? Either ask a straight question about points of Catholic doctrine and moral teaching, or take your question about personal sin to a priest in the confessional. Please stop speculating on the sins of others–we are quite able to conjure up enough guild on our own without requiring your (name removed by moderator)ut.

The above was posted earlier. I agree wholeheartedly. Hypothethical sins seem what someone posts when they don’t have anything to say. And to bring up being overweight is downright ugly.
 
I agree that Gluttony does lead to fat and some of your analogies, though obesity isn’t always caused by gluttony (atleast I think so). There are other reasons besides mass eating. I wouldn’t consider being fat a sin. It also depends one what your definition of gluttony is. As for eating to little, I think it would be considered a sin it was for suicidal purposes. Fasting is not a sin because it is sometimes used to show sorrow for sins. Also it depends on what your definition of thin is.
 
40.png
BayCityRickL:
Is it a bit judgmental to make that summary and snap judgment about someone who is overweight that they are gluttonous?
Click to expand...
Sure it is. But we also judge ourselves–may we do that? When I was 60 lbs heavier I used to rationalize that fat was not a moral issue. I still despise the way some foods are called “sinful” and the way people agonize over breaking their diets. That’s going too far. But I had forgotten about gluttony and sloth, which applied in my case at least, even if it is not true of anyone else.

Besides, there’s fat and then there’s FAT. Let’s face it, we are seeing strange new body shapes in the last 10 years. Just go to Wal Mart and look. Something weird is happening. There are some huge and deformed bodies out there. It ain’t right. They can’t walk without leaning over on the carts, or they are on motor scooters. Along with the moral decay we see in society, there seems to be a concurrent physical decay. I never see people like that at my church. And the ones I know personally–and I’m talking morbidly obese, not moderately overweight or fit and fat–for some reason also have lives that are disordered in other ways as well, like out of wedlock births, drug usage, and porn habits come to mind.

Lately I’ve begun to think that fatness is an analogy for worse sins. At very least it betrays an obsession or fixation with the most basic of creature comforts. Are we not meant to do more than just eat and watch TV? It’s an issue of priorities. I think if you get your priorities in order, the rest will follow.

And yes, your body is a temple. If you’re in good shape, you can be of help to others. I really appreciated it now that I’ve started doing more volunteer work. I’m 55 and can work like a North Dakota farmer! 👍
 
It is in my opinion that being overweight is not a sin. Some people have personal or physical problems that may limit their ability to be the size that other people think they should be! Not everyone was intended to have the same body shape, but like previously stated if all you do is sit around and eat until you can’t eat no more then I would say that would be a sin (gluttony, sloth). Some overweight people get depressed because the people of today’s society judge them for their size and not who they are on the inside which in some cases they will resort to food for comfort because no one wants to take the time to get to know the overweight one. This can be the same way for a person who is underweight too! FYI… BIG OR SMALL GOD LOVES US ALL!!! I know alot of overweight people and beleive me most of them would rather not be that way, so I apologize if I came on too strong.:blessyou:
 
40.png
JKirkLVNV:
40.png
jimmy:
. Many of the saints were fat.

There was that saint that was a Borgia, the only one in the family, but I can’t remember his name.
Click to expand...

Saint Francis Borgia. He was also the only Borgia to be General of the Jesuits​

They had to cut out a semi-circle in the table so he could sit at it, he was so fat.
Click to expand...

I always thought that was St. Thomas Aquinas - he was very stout, for sure.​

And don’t forget Blessed John XXIII, of happy memory, not exactly petite. That said, the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (typed the smoker who can’t give up his pack-a-day jones!).:o
Click to expand...

St. Pius X :getholy: was a pipe-smoker 🙂​

Click to expand...
 
I don’t know,

But you might want to look to St. Thomas Aquinas, apperently he was so fat he had to have a semi circle carved into his dinning room table so he could reach the food.

Being fat just by itself is not a sin, many people have a genetic tendency to be heavy, can’t see that as being reasonable grounds for seeing fat"ness" as being sinfull.

Peace
Tom F.
 
My question is is being unhealthy a sin?

I’m pretty thin but not because I don’t eat- I’m usually scarfing a bag of limon chips or a burrito or something (my friends always tease me when I have to take a break going up the stairs at school- “Sandra! Maybe if you weren’t eating you could make it up!”)

I hate salad and vegetables- to be honest I only like green leafy foods on top of meat.

Plus I hate excercise. I love playing sports though. (my definitions: excercise is by yourself, not for fun; sports are with other people, having fun)

So is it hypocritical to be pro-life and not be healthy? What are the exact definitions of gluttony and sloth? I’m trying to improve my diet and get more active but…
 
John of Woking:
If it is not down to a medical condition. I am (praise be to God) standard weight and size and* I don’t think *IT IS SINFUL TO BE FAT. It is the state of your soul that matters.

That said if it is sinful to be greedy and to eat too much, which it is, then surely it is sinful for some people to be fat.
Click to expand...
Being fat is a result of sin, and the sin is not necessarily one of greed, or sloth. In my case I learned from my early childhood to use food to deal with stress, and eventually it consumed me and I became a compulsive overeater, commonly compared to alcoholism or any other drug addiction.

Unlike any other addiction though, we as humans need to eat, where as we don’t need to do drugs to survive (including alcohol). The real sin is in the first commandment, Thou shalt have no other God before Me.

I put food where God was supposed to be. So to answer your question no, being fat is not a sin, but is the result of sin. I hope I have given you some insight to your question. Check out my site for more info

Christ Love,

TheGarg
 
Dear Garg,
I read your website and it was very moving. I was wondering how you are doing on your weight-loss and how you are feeling after your surgery?

I am not an expert on sin, but I do feel like overeating to this degree is an addiction. I also think the greater sin is how people treat others who look different. Many people are so cruel to overweight people. I hate that. As a teacher, I saw this in action over the years, and it always broke my heart. I tried to deal with the perpetrators so it never happened in my class and to teach about empathy in order to stop it.

For most of my life I have been thin. After my second child was born to me at age 36, I got slightly chubby–about a size 12 and sometimes 14. Then I was put on a medication that causes weight gain. I am now wearing a size sixteen and sometimes 18 and it is very depressing. The more depressed I get about my weight, the more I want to eat.
 
40.png
bapcathluth:
Dear Garg,
I read your website and it was very moving. I was wondering how you are doing on your weight-loss and how you are feeling after your surgery?

I am not an expert on sin, but I do feel like overeating to this degree is an addiction. I also think the greater sin is how people treat others who look different. Many people are so cruel to overweight people. I hate that. As a teacher, I saw this in action over the years, and it always broke my heart. I tried to deal with the perpetrators so it never happened in my class and to teach about empathy in order to stop it.

For most of my life I have been thin. After my second child was born to me at age 36, I got slightly chubby–about a size 12 and sometimes 14. Then I was put on a medication that causes weight gain. I am now wearing a size sixteen and sometimes 18 and it is very depressing. The more depressed I get about my weight, the more I want to eat.
Click to expand...
That is the vicious circle you need to get out of. better to face it now than when you need a 40000 sugery to save your life…I have a second chance praise God, and i will use it to give Him Glory and tell others of my experiance. May the peace of the Lord be with you and may you find your comfort there.

God Bless
 
I, sadly, have realized that I have suffered from an eating disorder over the course of the year: I became a compulsive eater. That means I ate when I wasn’t hungry, and then I wouldn’t stop–eating way past my limit. I just wouldn’t stop. I even forgot what it felt like to be full since I ignored it and kept eating. I’ve dealt with some major mental issues during this course of time and my question is that, if you have subconcious made an effort to damage yourself, is it sinful? Does my account fall under gluttony?
 
Tom F:
I don’t know,

But you might want to look to St. Thomas Aquinas, apperently he was so fat he had to have a semi circle carved into his dinning room table so he could reach the food.

Being fat just by itself is not a sin, many people have a genetic tendency to be heavy, can’t see that as being reasonable grounds for seeing fat"ness" as being sinfull.

Peace
Tom F.
Click to expand...
Tommy Aquinas weighed well over 800 pounds. :eek:
 
Dj Roy Albert:
Tommy Aquinas weighed well over 800 pounds. :eek:
Click to expand...
That is rather worrying, but in that era they had to eat more to keep warm as there was no central heating.
 
40.png
TheGarg:
Being fat is a result of sin, and the sin is not necessarily one of greed, or sloth.
Click to expand...
No, being fat is not the result of sin. It may be one consequence of the sin of gluttony, and the reasons for overeating may have roots in sinful habits of mind, but to say the condition of being fat is necessarily the result of sin is wrong.

Being fat has many causes, overeating is one of them, or contributes to many of them. One cause is being unable to exercise due to another health condition, so that you gain weight even with normal or abstemious eating. Other primary or contributing causes are reaction to medication, unrecognized thyroid problems, severe food allergies or sensitivities, unrecognized type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary disease, or other hormonal irregularities.

Please don’t go around telling people I am a sinner because I am fat. for one thing, it could be dangerous, I am bigger than you.
 
40.png
TheGarg:
The real sin is in the first commandment, Thou shalt have no other God before Me.

I put food where God was supposed to be. So to answer your question no, being fat is not a sin, but is the result of sin.

Great point, Garg! I am somewhat overweight(not obese) and not currently in a state of sin, with regard to those things that have caused the weight gain. I am not continuing to gain, have been at this weight for months, but having attended some Weight Watcher meetings, have decided that it is easy to go too far in the direction Garg mentions with regard to Diet & Healthy eating, too.

I am trying simply to move my body more, make better choices overall with regard to portions, but I am NOT willing to make the process/goal of losing the weight the God of my life, just as the food has been in the past. I think WW and other plans are helpful, surely, nothing against the program itself. But compulsive people could make whatever they’re doing, turn into compulsive behavior. KWIM?
Click to expand...
 
40.png
mhansen:
I think it’s sinful to mix cake and beer. Pizza and beer, fine. But cake and beer? Yuck!! 🙂

Mike
Click to expand...
How about chocolate cake and white grapefruit juice?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top