What would or does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight to lose?

[Lik3]

What does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight? Would the Bible say something about an overweight person who is a glutton and slothful; are they any more sinful if the person has an eating disorder like a binge eating disorder? I am assuming that a person who is Baptist would have a different position on this than say a Catholic or Methodist. I am overweight and though I suspect I have a binge eating issue, will I be judged about it? Or is being overweight a sin anyway?

 

[joshua 1 9]

What does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight? Would the Bible say something about an overweight person who is a glutton and slothful; are they any more sinful if the person has an eating disorder like a binge eating disorder? I am assuming that a person who is Baptist would have a different position on this than say a Catholic or Methodist. I am overweight and though I suspect I have a binge eating issue, will I be judged about it. Or is being overweight a sin anyway?

Being overweight is the consequence of sin, the result of gluttony. We live with it every day of our lives. It is not easy to control our weight but it is not easy to deal with the outcome of not controlling our weight. Paul tells us it is better to suffer for righteousness sake then as a sinner. 1Peter3:17 "it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."

Proverbs 23 1 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

Proverbs 23 20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

 

[Brotherly Spirit]

Not sure about the Bible specifically or differences of denominations, I'll leave that for others. Health is a cause for concern regardless, it's something all of us need to consider and address. You shouldn't wait for a reason to start living a healthier life.

 

[tulc]

Isaiah 55: 2: Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
tulc(thought of this Scripture when he read the thread title)

 

[musicalpilgrim]

What does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight? Would the Bible say something about an overweight person who is a glutton and slothful; are they any more sinful if the person has an eating disorder like a binge eating disorder? I am assuming that a person who is Baptist would have a different position on this than say a Catholic or Methodist. I am overweight and though I suspect I have a binge eating issue, will I be judged about it? Or is being overweight a sin anyway?

Not sure about the Bible specifically or differences of denominations, I'll leave that for others. Health is a cause for concern regardless, it's something all of us need to consider and address. You shouldn't wait for a reason to start living a healthier life.

I had Christmas off healthy eating and enjoyed my mince pie (2) and Christmas pudding (yummy with rum sauce) chocolates my husband bought for me....so now it is back to healthy eating.
It is difficult, but it takes about 3 days to get rid of the cravings. I feel that it is gluttony and I do ask for help from the Lord.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

What does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight? Would the Bible say something about an overweight person who is a glutton and slothful; are they any more sinful if the person has an eating disorder like a binge eating disorder? I am assuming that a person who is Baptist would have a different position on this than say a Catholic or Methodist. I am overweight and though I suspect I have a binge eating issue, will I be judged about it? Or is being overweight a sin anyway?

There are many reasons for why a person is over weight, and overeating is just one of them. Eating the wrong type of food is another. We are hemmed in by advertisements for fast food, and for someone who hasn't the time to cook, getting KFC or McDonalds is a convenient alternative. Many have no idea about nutrition and therefore have unbalanced diets. Weight gain happens silently, stealthily and over a long period of time. Then to try and take it off is a difficult, challenging process.

We need to remember that Jesus said it was not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out in the form of anger, riotous living, criticism, backbiting, gossip, accusative comments, hatred, spiritual abuse, etc, etc.

Boredom, lack of purpose, and depression are major causes for a person becoming over weight. They use comfort food as an anesthetic, in the same way another person uses alcohol or drugs for the same purpose. So, to deal with the surface presenting problem, one must get down to the underlying issues that give rise to it.

The answer for a Christian is to close with Christ and develop an intimate personal relationship with Him. Then the person develops into the person that Jesus wants him or her to be. As the person moves into the standing with Christ where he or she should be and starts to know it, then their mind is being transformed to a style of thinking that is conforming to Christ. As that happens, old habits and presenting problems fall away, because inner healing takes place, and the need for comfort food drops away and the person adopts sensible eating patterns and habits.

This is a lifestyle change brought about by the healing work of the Holy Spirit in the person's spirit, soul and mind. Therefore, the answer is to start from the inside - Christ within working the solution from the inside to the outside. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Man tries to solve the problem from the surface. God works on the problem starting with the heart.

Condemning and criticising a person and accusing them of gluttony is using man's wisdom instead of God's truth. The devil loves it because he is the accuser and those who accuse others work in total unity with him to drag down and destroy a believer's faith in Christ. Jesus does the opposite. He works within the believer to strengthen faith, confidence and trust in Him, and through that, the surface problems begin to be resolved.

 

[tdidymas]

What does the Bible say about a person who has excess weight? Would the Bible say something about an overweight person who is a glutton and slothful; are they any more sinful if the person has an eating disorder like a binge eating disorder? I am assuming that a person who is Baptist would have a different position on this than say a Catholic or Methodist. I am overweight and though I suspect I have a binge eating issue, will I be judged about it? Or is being overweight a sin anyway?

I recommend you stop worrying about whether it is a judgment issue or not, and focus on self-discipline for improvement of your life's ability to glorify God. Now I'll get specific. There are good reasons why it is said that sugar and junk food is unhealthy. People (including myself) struggle with some degree of overweightness because of processed foods that are so prolific in this culture. But everyone's body chemistry is different, and each person must experiment with himself to find out what works and what doesn't.

In general, sugar increases blood insulin, and increased blood insulin causes storage of fat in the body. Eat more sugar, gain more weight. Eliminate sugar if you want to lose weight. And this takes discipline in this day and age, and it is a permanent dietary lifestyle, not something you do temporarily. Talk to any doctor, I'll bet he/she will tell you the same. The question is, do you really want to lose weight, and do you really want to be healthy? It's up to you to decide. This is presuming, of course, that you don't have some physical problem as the cause; you should consult a doctor to find out.

There are many people with various addictions, and food (i.e. kinds of food) is one of them. Many of these people join Celebrate Recovery (Home) to help them overcome their addictions. I highly recommend it, as I'm in recovery myself.
TD

 

[frettr00]

Being overweight can be a product of being uneducated on what foods are healthy. Processed foods tend to be calorie dense and it doesn't take a large quantity of food to rack up the calories. Unless you're using a food scale and watching serving sizes, you're probably underestimating how many calories you consume.

 

[HantsUK]

Eating healthily, and not eating too much, is only half the story. The other side is getting sufficient physical exercise. People with very physically strenuous jobs are rarely overweight! No matter how much they eat. In the USA, and increasingly the UK, most people do not get enough exercise in their normal daily routine (drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home), besides eating far too much of the wrong foods.

If you are staying fit and eating a reasonable diet, then I don't think you should need to literally weigh every last gram. Or count every calorie (they're actually kilocalories). Although I can see that this may help to give a more object measure. If most people around you are overweight, eat too much, and very unfit, then ones perception of what is desirable and good is distorted.
Longer ago, normal everyday life would give you exercise. For most people, that is no longer so. If you are not into a particular sport (watching doesn't count!), this can be difficult. And possibly more difficult than eating correctly.

In answer to the OP: I have not observed any difference between people of different denominations or between Christian and non-Christian. The Bible has little to say directly about being overweight, because this was not such a big problem (sic) in the past. But as has already been mentioned, there are principles which can be applied.