Question about being Overweight

[TrueLight]

What you say is not true. You could be sitting eating a salad watching EWTN and I can assure you that is not gluttony!

Its the Catholic definition of gluttony we look to:

GLUTTONY. Inordinate desire for the pleasure connected with food or drink. This desire may become sinful in various ways: by eating or drinking far more than a person needs to maintain bodily strength; by glutting one’s taste for certain kinds of food with known detriment to health; by indulging the appetite for exquisite food or drink, especially when these are beyond one’s ability to afford a luxurious diet; by eating or drinking too avidly, i.e., ravenously; by consuming alcoholic beverages to the point of losing full control of one’s reasoning powers. Intoxication that ends in complete loss of reason is a mortal sin if brought on without justification, e.g., for medical reasons. (Etym. Latin glutire, to devour.)

That part about indulging in exquisite foods way over and beyond ones budget is interesting. Is this from the Catholic encyclopedia?

 

[DoxieMama]

I do not consider myself a glutton, however have been guilty in the past of emotional eating, ie. eating while depressed to make myself feel better, or so I thought. Also, I am overweight due to anti-anxiety meds and hypothyroidism, all of which I’m trying to control.

 

[Candescent]

Not to dismiss God but I’d lose the weight for yourself first…you’ll feel better about yourself, have more energy, possibly sleep better and avoid certain health issues as you age. Doing so may make you happier and more joyful. Thank God and ask for added strength on your journey. I’m sure he is cheering you on. One added thought is to listen to either a catholic.com or ewtn.com podcast as you go for your walk. This is a wonderful way to lose weight and get closer to God at the same time.

This is very true! I say a rosary each day on my walk and I find myself able to go much deeper into the mysteries when walking than when I say one sitting at home. i just say the rosary on my fingers.
Has anyone else found this to be the case for themselves?

 

[Kevin812]

Just to be safe and I am sure we all know this already, but…

If weight is a concern, then this matter should be discussed with confident medical authority.

Also many things beyond a person control can impact weight – disease, hormones, genetics, and about fifty other things. The goal is being as healthy as one can be in the condition that they find themselves in.

 

[centurionguard]

It is important to understand what gluttony is. Gluttony is continuing to eat when you are not hungry. It is sinful when it reflects a disregard for those who are hungry (as in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus).

For some people, the mental switch they are satisfied does not trigger until they have eaten more than others and they may gain weight. This is not a sin. It is wise for these people to adjust their eating habits so they can better care for the bodies God gave them, but not mandatory.

I’m not here to disregard or diminish Gulttony as being a sin. However; I get bothered when others always think the worse of others whenever they see an overweight person.

Numerous physical and mental health reasons are also culpret leading to overweight problems. Before my pancreatic cancer now in remission I was overweight. Numerous health related reasons both physical and mental didn’t help my obesity. Was the sin of Gluttony in there between it all? I won’t boast that it wasn’t but I don’t believe the greater fault was all Gluttony in of itself.

People who are obese need complete physical and psychological assessment to help fight this (“Disease”) which is actually classified as a disease in medical journals.

My heart goes out to the OP and all obese people. And those who have been there and fought it know how extremely difficult it is. Chemo Therapy is how I lost all my weight. Now I’m under weight. Not anerexic but its difficult chore to eat properly. For some who are obese they can’t afford expensive diet foods.

Peace
Chris

 

[SonCatcher]

I do not consider myself a glutton, however have been guilty in the past of emotional eating, ie. eating while depressed to make myself feel better, or so I thought. Also, I am overweight due to anti-anxiety meds and hypothyroidism, all of which I’m trying to control.

Coping mechanisms, medication side-effects and other physical issues are obviously not gluttony. One can try to learn a new coping mechanism, but this is often difficult as the existing one probably developed since childhood.

centurionguard: I think you are reading into my previous message something I did not intend. I agree with your thoughts on the matter.

 

[Like]

OP, I don’t believe you are a glutton.

I will gladly take some of your lbs. I weighed a healthy 139 & gained 19 lbs. in 8 days from a heart condition I didn’t know I had (2 sm.heart attacks caused by radical fleberation (sp) beat all over the place causing valve leak). Weight gained from waist to tip of toes.

7 days later I lost 41 to 117lbs.from medication to reduce water. I have to be very close to bathroom or have to wear diaper. Only get 3 to 5 hours sleep per night & no daytime naps. I can’t take sleep aides w/heart meds. So I need 22lbs. minimum & can’t seem to gain it.
So, if anything you could call me a glutton, I eat anything & everything I can my hands on that are approved for the medication I’m on. Very, very tired & weak.
Help CAF,s heart docs!

 

[Cat]

I didn’t know that either until Mother Angelica was talking about it on the Radio. She said St. Anthony was fat but all the statues make him look slim, but he was fat and so is she, and she wants to be more like him!

From what I have read, St. Anthony of Padua suffered from edema, which is not the same as being fat. Edema makes a person “swell,” but it’s not fat, it’s fluids.

Various conditions cause edema; e.g., various heart conditions like congestive heart failure.

My husband is very salt-sensitive, and his ankles swell if he eats too many tater chips.

Edema is not a good condition to have, as it weakens the skin and causes a person to be more susceptible to infections. It’s also painful and makes it hard for the person to be mobile.

That being said–there ARE plenty of saints who were truly fat, at least by today’s standards, which are quite warped. Thankfully a lot of the women’s fashion magazines are putting out more realistic guidelines for women’s weights, but for the most part, the models shown in these magazines are still bone-thin, usually almost 6 feet tall and under 120 pounds. Not realistic and not healthy for most women.

And men are getting the message from Hollywood that they need to have washboard abs–again, not realistic for most men who work, take care of families, and eat an affordable diet with a lot of starch. (If you want to go broke in a hurry, try Bob Harper’s diet!) Washboard abs require a lot of time in a gym–how many husbands and fathers truly have that much time these days?

 

[Like]

Thanks Cat for this post, I’ve learn 't something!

God Bless

 

[SecretBeliever]

Hi DoxieMama, Man am I glad you asked this. I hardly ever post here (I’m trying to control a OCD tendency; I like reading forums but if I start participating, it turns into an obsession) I am constantly praying for help me keep the weight off since I was formerly over 200 lbs. and lost 65 lbs. four years ago. And have been desperately trying to NOT be a glutton ever since. Not doing well lately, have gained about 10 lbs. and am trying to get the gumption to get it back off again. So I feel for ya, and understand your conscience issues also. Congratulations on losing a few pounds so far and walking!!! Take care and keep doing what you’re doing. PM me if you wanna chat privately about weight concerns.

 

[poche]

I think we should focus on trying to be good people rather a thin svelte person.
Remember - salvation doesn’t come by eating and drinking but by the grace of God.
Better to be a good kind charitable overweight person than a thin svelte physically attractive mena hateful person.