Too many carbs in Communion wafers? Too much fat in your faith?

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Tightening the Bible belt

The Associated Press

Too many carbs in Communion wafers? Too much fat in your faith?

A recent study found that some churches and church-related

activities are a " feeding ground " for America's obesity problem.

Ken Ferraro, a sociology professor at Purdue University, in West

Lafayette, Ind., analyzed 2,500 people during an eight-year period

to determine the relationship between religious practices and body

mass index.

In his study, published in a recent issue of the Journal for the

Scientific Study of Religion, Ferraro found that obesity was more

prevalent in some denominations – particularly Baptists and

fundamentalist Protestants. Although unhealthy eating patterns in

the South might partly explain that, Ferraro found it was true

across the nation.

THE ACCEPTED VICE

Religious leaders tended to call cigarette smoking or the

consumption of drugs and alcohol sinful, but didn't attach the same

label to overeating, Ferraro found. Instead, they have church

potlucks and doughnuts after services.

" It has become the accepted vice, " he said. " Abstinence doesn't

translate as well to food. "

Ferraro said there seemed to be a " mind-body dualism, " meaning that

believers didn't recognize a strong connection between physical

health and spiritual well-being. And he said those who are

abstaining from other vices might turn to food instead.

Some other religious groups were the opposite, though. Seventh-day

Adventists, Mormons, Christian Scientists and Jews, for example,

tended to encourage healthy eating habits, the study showed.

And across the board, there are examples of religious groups that

have taken the initiative to cultivate weight management among their

members.

DIET

A book called " The Hallelujah Diet, " by Dr. Malkmus,

encourages a regimen of raw, natural foods, no meat and plenty of

fresh air and exercise.

The diet is based on Genesis 1:29 in the Bible, which says, in the

King Version, " Behold, I have given you every herb bearing

seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every tree, in

the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be

for meat. "

Malkmus had colon cancer and says he fought through it with faith

and good habits. Now he is trying to encourage others to do the same

with a ministry called Hallelujah Acres, www.hacres.com, based out

of Shelby, N.C.

A NEW FOCUS

The Weigh Down Workshop, a program that offers online and in-person

courses across the country, tries to get far away from dieting on

the path to finding a healthy weight. To diet is to focus on the

wrong thing, according to the people at Weigh Down.

" Religion is simply what you adore. Everyone adores or worships

something, " said Weigh Down founder Gwen Shamblin. " And so we're

saying if you worship the refrigerator, the chocolate cake, it's

going to rob you of your time, your self-esteem, your clothing, your

relationships. But if you transfer the same passion over to God,

then He gives back. "

The Workshop, at www.wdworkshop.com, has been around for 15 years

and is growing, boasting hundreds of people who say their weight

loss is permanent, Shamblin said.

ENLIGHTENED CHOICES

Ferraro said some churches have heeded his warnings about what he

calls " Krispy Kreme Christianity. "

Instead of offering coffee and doughnuts or other junk food during

social gatherings, some have made an effort to incorporate more

healtful foods.

Ferraro's study showed that, among women, consumption of religious

media – TV, radio or literature – was a strong predictor of obesity.

So he suggests finding a way to incorporate exercise while watching

or listening to religious programming.

In other words, no televangelists unless you're on a treadmill.

OTHER RELIGIONS

It's not only mainstream religions that have tried their hand at

eliminating obesity among their members.

For example, one of the most popular features on the About.com page

for the Pagan/Wiccan religion is the weight-loss spell, according to

Terri Paajanen, the online guide for that subject.

According to Paajanen, the Wiccan religion tends to embrace full,

curvy female bodies. But many people still care about image and

health. For that, she says, a spell could do the trick.

You can lose weight, according to Paajanen, by lighting a candle,

holding a crystal and reciting the words, " Goddess within/Goddess

without/Guide me to my goal/Ease my hunger/Soothe my

spirit/Strengthen my resolve/As I will it, so mote it be. "

It works best during the waning moon, she says. Preferably on a

Saturday.