Troubling: Church goers and obesity

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  • tonyrocks922
    tonyrocks922 Posts: 172 Member
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    Correlation does not imply causation.

    no one in the thread suggested religious beliefs are the cause of the associated obesity, so I'm not sure what the point of your post is, other than that you think it makes you sound smart.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    The Bible Belt is also known as the "Diabetes Belt" as this is where you find some of the fattest states, year after year. I am thinking there is a correlation between the two.
    That's what I was wondering, did they control for the regions of the country.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    That is why the idea of fellowship in most churches is so food oriented.
    I don't know about that...fellowship throughout the history of time has been food related. Breaking bread with others is hardly religious. The people who aren't at church on sunday are probably at brunch...
  • mikeatmichael
    mikeatmichael Posts: 92 Member
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    Some churches in my area have weekly zumba classes.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    Church pot-lucks. 'Nuf said.

    Hey! That's what I was going to say!
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    P.S: At the last church I went to, we would always have coffee and pastries after the service.
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
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    At our church almost everyone is thin and it's a larger congregation. We're in a big running community though, and I know that a LOT of people run, we even have a week night running club. We don't do a lot of food events though either-coffee is served every week but not cookies etc. No potlucks either. We do have an Easter morning breakfast and then on graduation (HS/college) Sunday we have cake. But otherwise it's just communion bread :laugh:
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    Sinnin' is sexy
  • nope31
    nope31 Posts: 174
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    [img]http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae100/aienma/Awesome Pictures/Jesus.gif[/img]
  • AB4u
    AB4u Posts: 57 Member
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    Well if any church members are like my church brothers and sisters, they'll be traditionalists. Most people in my church community are dutch, and dutch people have traditions. Sundays are a day of celebration, and with celebration comes a ton of food. My typical sunday at my parents house goes like this:

    Breakfast: whatever you like, but there's raisin buns and butter available
    Church: candies galore
    Snack: after church coffee with cake (usually involves mass amounts of people coming over)
    Lunch: soup and buns with loads of dutch cheese and deli meats
    Church:candies again!!!
    Snack: chocolate and coffee and chips
    Dinner: huge steak dinner with all the sides available you can think of
    Dessert: cake and coffee again!!
    Snack: chips drinks cookies all kinds of food

    Yeah thats probably over 3000 calories right there in one day.

    Also church communities love to invite people into their homes and prepare a meal for them. Everything seems to revolve around food because its being hospitable as we're called to be hospitable. But I think some of us might be overstepping that.
  • AB4u
    AB4u Posts: 57 Member
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    duplicate.sorry
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
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    Hi
    Well I also think it can be the idea that its too vain to work out a lot, There is obviously a lot that factors into it. yes people find that eating together is a wonderful way to fellowship, but there are other ways, taking a walk, a bike ride and understanding that our bodies are God's temple and we should take care of it.
    Sometimes people think its wrong to take that extra time to want to look better, but they may not see that they will also feel so so much better and be able to minister to others for a longer time God willing.
  • So_Much_Fab
    So_Much_Fab Posts: 1,146 Member
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    I used to be very active in the church and life did kinda revolve around food. I cant think of an event (excluding actual church services) that didn't involve food.

    Me too. Most every church event involved lots and lots of food!
  • jenf235
    jenf235 Posts: 157 Member
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    I had a great conversation with my pastor one day (he's also my boss). He was commenting on my weight loss and looked at me and said, "You have inspired me to get healthy. I am starting to walk now, too." He started by doing just a little and within the past six months has shed over 50 pounds! I keep trying to convince him to walk with me, but I guess my fast walking reputation has gotten back to him! He is truly leading by example now!
  • sophayz
    sophayz Posts: 592 Member
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    easy .. they like tradition, don't believe is science ... easy equation
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    This is an easy fix, you know.

    Church volleyball tournament
    Church softball game
    Church bowling night


    Offer more physical activities to your congregation.
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
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    easy .. they like tradition, don't believe is science ... easy equation

    I am a Christian I believe in Science, I think many do, we may not agree with everything, but we are not ignorant. Not arguing just stating the truth.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I've never though about it before...but when I and my family were actively attending church, a lot of everything revolved around food. There were pre-church breakfasts with our best church friends...after church lunches...then evening service and after church dinner.

    Monday was youth group and a never ending supply of pizza and soda...Wednesday evening service followed by after service dinner...then the pot-lucks and picnics which were pretty regular occurrences. My dad also held a weekly bible study at the house...always lots of food there as well.

    Hell...I just realized I partied harder when I was a church goer than I do now. Crazy.
  • NanoBear
    NanoBear Posts: 67
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    In Western Australia, a lot of junior sport takes place on Sunday mornings, same time as church. A lot of kids who go to church never get to play junior sport. I imagine that could easily be part of the correlation here.
  • Tiffa0909
    Tiffa0909 Posts: 191 Member
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    I use to to a Church with older people and I always heard about them not drinking or smoking but excessively eating. It seemed like all of the church activities had to have some food involved.

    But hey if your body is the temple of the holy spirit why are you destroying it.

    This man was able to put it all in spoken word.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3K8NcVt2o

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