Are the Religious Prone to Obesity?

[Guest guest]

New research finds that people who frequently attend religious services are

significantly more likely to become obese by the time they reach middle age.

The study doesn't prove that attending services is fattening, nor does it

explain why weight might be related to faith. Even so, the finding is

surprising, especially considering that religious people tend to be in

better health than others, said study author J. Feinstein, a medical

student at Northwestern University in Chicago.

" It highlights a particular group that appears to be at a greater risk of

becoming obese and remaining obese, " he said. " It's a group that may benefit

from targeted anti-obesity interventions and from obesity prevention

programs. "

Scientists have been studying links between religious behavior and health

for years, and have found signs that there's a positive connection between

the two. The studies suggest that religious involvement -- whether it's

private or public -- is linked to things like better physical health, less

depression and more happiness, said Jeff Levin, director of Baylor

University's Program on Religion and Population Health.

But researchers have also found signs that people who attend services put on

more weight. In the new study, which will be released Wednesday at an

American Heart Association conference in Atlanta, researchers sought to

follow people over time to see what happened to them. They examined a

previous long-term study that tracked 2,433 people who were aged 20 to 32 in

the mid-1980s.

Most of the participants were women, and 41 percent were black.

After adjusting their statistics to take into account factors such as race,

the researchers found that 32 percent of those who attended services the

most became obese by middle age, Feinstein said.

By contrast, only 22 percent of those who attended services the least became

obese.

What might explain obesity among those who attend services regularly? There

are plenty of theories.

Levin said one possibility is that those who attend services, along with

activities such as Bible study and prayer groups, could be " just sitting

around passively instead of being outside engaging in physical activity. "

Also, he said, " a lot of the eating traditions surrounding religion are not

particularly healthy; for example, constant feasts or desserts after

services or at holidays -- fried chicken, traditional kosher foods cooked in

schmaltz (chicken fat), and so on. "

There's another question: Why might religious people be obese yet still have

good health? The fact that fewer are smokers might help explain that,

Feinstein said.

Whatever the case, he said, the study points to the role that places of

worship could play in reducing obesity.

" They can become part of the solution, " explained Dr. P. Sulmasy, a

professor of medicine and ethics at the University of Chicago, perhaps by

increasing awareness of obesity and holding health fairs.

" Pastors, especially those in poor neighborhoods, could champion programs

for more fresh produce and less fast food in their neighborhoods, " Sulmasy

added.

SOURCES: J. Feinstein, M.D., medical student, Northwestern

University, Chicago; Jeff Levin, Ph.D., professor, epidemiology and

population health, and director, Program on Religion and Population Health,

Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, Waco, Texas; P.

Sulmasy, M.D., Ph.D., professor, medicine and ethics, University of Chicago;

March 23, 2011, American Heart Association Nutrition, Physical Activity and

Metabolism Conference 2011 and 51st Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and

Prevention Annual Conference, Atlanta

HealthDay link<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_110178.html>

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