this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2023
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Obesity as a Spiritual Problem, the Vice of Gluttony? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by walnutwalrus@lemmy.world to c/general@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2916565

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2916431

There's a lot of talk of the "obesity epidemic" and this is often discussed in scientific terms, about "counting calories" to lose weight, or fad weight loss diets (which can work), or just "exercising more and eating less"

But I've thought from time to time that maybe this is more of a spiritual problem of the sin of gluttony, and as such it may not be as easily solved by self-will and discipline, but by the grace of God through people undergoing holy fasts for the good of soul and body

What do you think about the spiritual dimension of the "obesity epidemic", or the traditional idea of the sin of gluttony?

Catholic encyclopedia on gluttony: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06590a.htm

Aquinas on gluttony: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3148.htm

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[–] sj_zero@lotide.fbxl.net 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not religious, but lately I've been having a lot more appreciation for the lessons in the world's religions.

People don't like the idea of being judged, but reality will ruthlessly wipe you and your bloodline out of existence, and in that way it doesn't matter if you want to be judged or not, you will be judged and erased from history if you come up short.

[–] walnutwalrus@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I got a lot of downvotes on this on lemmyworld but I may be speaking from a different perspective of already assuming that there are certain physical or scientific factors involved... it just doesn't seem like enough to explain all the obesity we see in the world

also there seems to be some confusion, either all the factors are known for losing weight and people won't do it (which is some kind of choice or spiritual issue), or we don't know what all the factors are and you couldn't in theory rule out something extra-scientific or there is more to the story... which is what we should discuss (I could see people disagreeing with me and having a good discussion about it but the downvotes seem like a little much)

[–] sj_zero@lotide.fbxl.net 0 points 1 year ago

Life isn't fair, sometimes it's easier to be virtuous for some people than others. It doesn't mean virtue isn't virtuous because it's harder.

A couple generations ago, fat people were super rare because there wasn't that much food and the food we had was kinda boring. Basic meals like meal after meal of bread, or potatoes, if you were lucky some meat, no spices like we think of today. In fact, our propensity for gaining weight comes from the reality that in the past you were much more likely to die of starvation than of overeating.

But also, it was much easier back then to be a violent wrathful person. To be strong enough to defend yourself but to not abuse that strength is a virtue whether it's easy or not.

If one grows up on a monestary and never sees a member of the opposite sex, it is easy to be chaste, but that doesn't mean it isn't a virtue to be chaste in a hypersexualized culture where you can't escape the temptation for lust, and that's something we deeply desire the same as food on an existential level.

If one grows up under the boot of a tyrannical aristocracy, it may be easy not to be prideful, but that doesn't mean humility stops being a virtue.

I've noticed people love their downvote brigades. You can take the redditor out of reddit, but you can't take the reddit out of the redditor.