Is eating junkfood sinful?

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tomch said:
I agree with you, JLSacred. The question was “Do you think it is a sin to eat junkfood simply because it tastes good?” It sounds like gluttony to me… “eating selfishly.”

Maybe I’m taking this out of context, but this reminds me of Philippians 3:18-19 - For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame. Their minds are occupied with earthly things.

Not saying that I don’t wrestle with this, though… I could stand to lose a few pounds due to my love affair with donuts. (no, I’m not a police officer, but I am involved in law enforcement!)
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Yeah but you can’t seriously say that someone who indulges in (and enjoys) a sweet or junky treat maybe two or three times a week, with no ill effects to their health, is making a god of their appetite, nor unduly occupying their minds with earthly things!

I should think the gallons of ‘best’ (means best-tasting) wine Christ produced at Cana are proof that he doesn’t mind us enjoying ourselves. Not like there were any health benefits to be gained by serving more wine to a group who were probably already tipsy!
 
I just went to the Dairy Queen and got a cherry shake. I didn’t need the shake for nourishment as I had a very good supper.* Why did I get the shake?* Because it tastes good…it may not be “good” for me…but I like it and so I got it. Do I feel like I have committed a sin? Nope! Not in the least…😃

:heart:Blyss
 
I answered I don’t know because there was no “depends” answer.

If you eat any food, junk or nutritional, the the point that it causes harm to the body, then it is a sin. The difference is that it takes a lot less junk food to get to this point than it does nutritional food.
 
**I’d have to know more about the Church’s position on food in general. Obviously, eating to excess (gluttony) is very bad. But I can understand where you’re coming from. IF the purposes of food (nutrition and pleasure) cannot be separated (like sex’s unity and procreation) then it would be sinful to eat any food that did not satisfy the nutritional requirements.

From the little I know I would guess that it’s ok to eat just for pleasure because food is not on the same level as sex.

Malia
**
 
One of the last things that our parish priest wanted to do as he was dying from cancer was to go to In-N-Out and have a double-double. I have always thought he was a great priest, and someone who really had his priorities straight. Now, of course in the scheme of things, he knew that eating a double-double wasn’t all that important, but still even when he was dying he was able to enjoy a simple pleasure.

I don’t know, it just seems really puritanical and not very Catholic to condemn something as a sin just because it is pleasurable with very little purpose. I think it is fine to enjoy pleasurable things, as long as that is not our biggest pursuit in life. We just need to keep things in perspective.
 
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Feanaro:
We know that by seeking sexual pleasure alone by isolating it from procreation and unity, we commit sin.

The purpose of food is to nourish and sustain the body.
Therefore, since most junkfood has very little nutritional value and indeed many cause more harm to the body than good. Do you think it is sinful to eat junkfood?
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You can separate sex from procreation and unity, but you cannot separate food from nutrition. No matter how nasty the junk food is, the body will still convert it to glucose and use it for energy, which is the ultimate purpose of any food.

A person may sin by the gluttonous consumption of unreasonable amounts of non-nutritious food, but junk food in and of itself still fulfills the purpose of eating, and is not sinful.

Betsy
 
I think it is sinful if the consumption is based on the capital vice of gluttony, which means we consume far more food than we need to survive and be healthy. To this we need the virtue of temperance, which makes us have everything in sensible moderation and good health.
 
baltobetsy said:
You can separate sex from procreation and unity, but you cannot separate food from nutrition. No matter how nasty the junk food is, the body will still convert it to glucose and use it for energy, which is the ultimate purpose of any food.

A person may sin by the gluttonous consumption of unreasonable amounts of non-nutritious food, but junk food in and of itself still fulfills the purpose of eating, and is not sinful.

**After discussing this further with my wife, we came to the same conclusion. Like you said, even the worst food can be converted to glucose and gives us raw calories, thereby nourishing us to some extent. Sin only occurs when we become gluttonous, which can happen even with healthier foods. So eating simply for pleasure is never sinful since we are never truly separating the pleasure from foods purpose.

This may have answered another question about sex as well. That being " Is it sinful to seek sex (within marriage) simply for pleasure as long as it contains it’s procreative and unitive elements".**

Betsy
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That piece of banana cheesecake I just ate was EXCELLENT!!! 😃
 
baltobetsy said:
You can separate sex from procreation and unity, but you cannot separate food from nutrition. No matter how nasty the junk food is, the body will still convert it to glucose and use it for energy, which is the ultimate purpose of any food.

A person may sin by the gluttonous consumption of unreasonable amounts of non-nutritious food, but junk food in and of itself still fulfills the purpose of eating, and is not sinful.

Betsy
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There are edible things that the body won’t convert to glucose like things sweetened by artificial sugar.
 
If eating junk food is a sin, then we all need to go to confession.
Kathy
 
Eating, drinking, etc. is perfectly acceptable until it becomes gluttony. Gluttony IS sinful.
 
You can separate sex from procreation and unity, but you cannot separate food from nutrition. No matter how nasty the junk food is, the body will still convert it to glucose and use it for energy, which is the ultimate purpose of any food.
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Good point! It makes no difference to the body whether you are eating filet mignon, or a Wendy’s triple burger. As several posters have said, gluttony is another matter, but choosing to make your diet one of junk food isn’t a sin. It may have a bad impact on your health eventually, but not your soul.
 
baltobetsy said:
You can separate sex from procreation and unity, but you cannot separate food from nutrition. No matter how nasty the junk food is, the body will still convert it to glucose and use it for energy, which is the ultimate purpose of any food.
A person may sin by the gluttonous consumption of unreasonable amounts of non-nutritious food, but junk food in and of itself still fulfills the purpose of eating, and is not sinful.
Betsy
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It is not sinful to seek comfort in moderation solely for the pleasure it brings if sought in moderation. Chewing gum would be one such example. The body does not convert in to glucose as it is not swallowed. God has put good things on earth for man to enjoy, and it is pleasing to Him so long as it done to excess.

In Christ - J.M.J.
Mapleoak
 
Personally, what someone classifies as junk food may not be classified by another as junk food. For instance, I like to eat fried chicken. I also like to eat fresh squash, green beans, lettuce, okra, corn, etc. Because I eat a piece of fried chicken as a meal with various vegetables does not make it sinful. The same goes for pizza, hamburgers, etc. All food is a gift from God which we receive from His bounty, and we thank Him for it before each meal. There is a lot of hype out there about what is and is not good for you. For instance, several years ago margerine was supposed to be better than real butter. It turned out that not to be the case. A lot of what you hear about foods is driven by marketing and not thruth. Eat a variety of foods, in moderation, and remember Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
 
Eating junk food just because it tastes good isn’t sinful. If someone is using it as a way to avoid something or a temporary solution to a problem that really needs to be addressed, then I think it may be seen as sinful.
 
If eating junkfood is not sinful, then why is smoking sinful? Junkfood is harmful to the body just as smoking is harmful to the body, although admittedly, smoking is much worse for one’s health.
 
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