Should we be more strict with gluttony?

[Cimorene]

Interesting. I shall try them. Thanks for thine suggestion madam.

De nada amigo!

 

[Not David]

In Britain and Germany also. But this is a global phenomena. We have automated a lot of hard physical labour and many of us hardly need to leave the house except for the occasional visits to the supermarket. Must admit most of my life I have been an extraordinarily fit guy eating a lot but burning it off doing regular sport. Is it gluttony if you eat more than the fat guy but still look like a Greek "god"? I have had an on-off ankle injury the last few months and put on a few pounds. In such circumstances gluttony does have an impact on my gut so moderation is called for.

In the end though I think the scriptures are where we need to draw our principles for living from.
We are meant to be good STEWARDS of our bodies which basically means managing the calorie budget and checking the value of what we eat e.g. fruit and veg not so much processed rubbish.
We all have callings and they determine our individual NECESSITY. If we are sitting around the house it is harder to justify that extra beer or packet of crisps but if we are active manual labourers or keeping up the exercise then maybe it is easier.
There is a principle of MODERATION in the bible. We should be neither too fat nor too fit. Probably slightly overweight is better than obese, slightly underweight is better than skinny.
For some of us this is an easier challenge than for others.

Some people are snowflakes in every area of life so fat shaming will be about as effective with these people as calling a serial rapist a pervert. They will take offence and huff and puff but it will not change them and more drastic actions need to be taken. Others can hear a wise mans rebuke and will take a sober minded view on advice given. Giving people time and space to come to their own senses is part of a free culture but there are health boundaries which once crossed require intervention in my view. In Britain where money is not main factor in health care, telling fat people to do some exercise could be a requirement before receiving pain meds for mild conditions caused by fatness. Afterall the rest of us are paying for the greater number of ailments they suffer.

Anyway enough pontificating, I need to get up off this couch and do some exercise.

That's a good observation. Though I believe gluttony is not only about being fat, trying to eat more when one is full is another example. I also believe one can get diabetes even if you are thin.

 

[steve78]

Where people miss the mark is their lack of self control and so they go overboard and just over eat. I did this a while back and gained 5kg. I've reversed it by three since then but weight just piles on depending on who you are and what you eat.

.

It's not just self control, one issue is that healthy food tends to be more expensive than unhealthy. If you don't have a lot of money then you buy the cheaper food.

Food manufacturers need to put in less salt and sugar. I am vegeterian so have a healthier lifestyle but i have found it difficult to cut out sugar and salt cause its very hard to find a product that is low in both.

My weight problem is to with my thyroid which means i have had to change my diet cause i have to to double exercise to burn off calories

 

[steve78]

People also don't get the exercise they used to. We used to have to get out and plow, weed, and hoe to grow our food. I'm going to try and grow chocolate-chip cookies next year ...

It's a problem for Kids. They don't go out play like we used to. Now they sit for hours with phones on social media. Advances in technology have made people lazier. Don't even have to cook now, just phone uber eats.

 

[steve78]

When your metabolism is used to eating fat rather than hi carbs we stay leaner, just like in the old days. Fat doesn't begat fat. Sugar does. Today we are awash in hi carb starch and sugar and paying a sluggish metabolic price. People need to learn to eat meat, potatoes and veggies again. Grandma would be proud.

Potatoes are hi in carbs. Meat needs to be cut out. Vegeterian and Vegan lifestyles more healthier and better for the environment.

 

[dqhall]

It's not just self control, one issue is that healthy food tends to be more expensive than unhealthy. If you don't have a lot of money then you buy the cheaper food.

Food manufacturers need to put in less salt and sugar. I am vegeterian so have a healthier lifestyle but i have found it difficult to cut out sugar and salt cause its very hard to find a product that is low in both.

My weight problem is to with my thyroid which means i have had to change my diet cause i have to to double exercise to burn off calories

Oatmeal is low sodium. Sweet potatoes have no sugar added. Frozen corn and Lima beans does not seem expensive. Beans and rice are not very expensive. I cooked beans in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. I cooked apples to add to my home made cornbread. As fruit is not in season I bought some frozen berries for my oatmeal. I bought bananas and froze them when ripe. I microwaved frozen spinach and kale. I made kale smoothies in my blender. I bought quinoa cheap at Sam’s Club. I ordered bulk buckwheat by mail. Romaine lettuce is low calorie. Cabbage is cheap.

Healthy food is not always expensive, but medical treatment is not too cheap.

 

[KeeperOfMemories]

Yes, we should treat it more seriously. We don't treat it seriously enough. No, we can't police and ration food. But we can talk about unhealthy eating in more serious terms. We can speak out for what it is--destroying the body. People are afraid of speaking out because they don't want to be seen as shaming.

It's not shaming to call out the fact that our diets our unhealthy, our food choices are unhealthy, and that we need to take it seriously. That's simply pointing out a fact. It's not comfortable or pleasant to hear, but it's true. And, it's not an invitation to self-pity. It's an invitation to action. I had to wake up and swallow this when I realized I gained back all the weight I lost. I got back in order, cut out the processed food, and worked out three times a week. I lost almost 40 lbs so far, and I have about 20 until I'm back to a healthy weight. But it caused a lot of strain in my relationships because these relationships involved a lot of unhealthy eating. It's hard finding people who care, but it's important because habits rub off on each other.

What the church could do is not bring unhealthy food to their social hours, and instead bring healthier food. That's the least they can do to not be a stumbling block to people.

 

[dqhall]

Yes, we should treat it more seriously. We don't treat it seriously enough. No, we can't police and ration food. But we can talk about unhealthy eating in more serious terms. We can speak out for what it is--destroying the body. People are afraid of speaking out because they don't want to be seen as shaming.

It's not shaming to call out the fact that our diets our unhealthy, our food choices are unhealthy, and that we need to take it seriously. That's simply pointing out a fact. It's not comfortable or pleasant to hear, but it's true. And, it's not an invitation to self-pity. It's an invitation to action. I had to wake up and swallow this when I realized I gained back all the weight I lost. I got back in order, cut out the processed food, and worked out three times a week. I lost almost 40 lbs so far, and I have about 20 until I'm back to a healthy weight. But it caused a lot of strain in my relationships because these relationships involved a lot of unhealthy eating. It's hard finding people who care, but it's important because habits rub off on each other.

What the church could do is not bring unhealthy food to their social hours, and instead bring healthier food. That's the least they can do to not be a stumbling block to people.

I am 6’ and 165 lbs. I do not need to lose weight, but need to be careful about what I eat. I ate a primarily plant based diet after reading books by doctors Fuhrman, Ornish, Gregor and Esselstyn. I read about meat and increased risk of cancer in “The China Study,” by T. Collin Campbell. I ate 1-2 servings of omega 3 rich fish per week and added B-12 supplements. My diet is low fat, no sugar added, low sodium.

 

[timothyu]

What the church could do is not bring unhealthy food to their social hours, and instead bring healthier food. That's the least they can do to not be a stumbling block to people.

That should apply to sermons also.

 

[Chrystal-J]

Like something out of 1984 where people are weighed by the government and put on a "regiment" until they reach "satisfactory" levels. No thanks. When they started going after smoking, I figured something else would be next. I have a cousin who is obese and her thyroid is messed up (it's causing hair loss too). What will they do with those people? Pass on this slippery slope.
Edit to add: If by "We" you mean the populous/government.