Overweight and the WoW

[Moksha]

Every once in a while I will read a post putting down overweight people via some wished for Word of Wisdom interpretation.

Here is a post from philosopher Bill at Beliefnet, that deals very well with that issue:

For me, the sport of fatty baiting is completely antithetical to the teachings of Christ. Calling it a health issue doesn't change anything. A person's health is their own business, nobody else's. Perhaps people feel free to make comments because being overweight is the one health issue that everybody can see. But being able to see somebody else's affliction does not give anyone the right to pontificate about it.

Jesus said:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a gospel of appearances. It is not a gospel of worldly success - by any measure. It is a Gospel of the heart. How is it that people can recite the lines, so many times, and still not know what they mean?

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

What is he saying? Is this a diatribe against the rich? Far from it. It's a plea to focus on "heavenly treasures" - to put spiritual issues ahead of worldly cares. And what are "heavenly treasures?" They're the inner virtues. Jesus wasn't talking about improving anybody's portfolio - or waistline. He was talking about changing the heart.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Christ's gospel is not about what to eat or drink. It's not about the body, or what you put on it. It's not about food or clothing. It's about bigger issues.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

It's all about seeking the kingdom of God. It's an internal thing.

In Matthew 15, when Jesus was judged because his disciples didn't follow the fashion of the day - ritual hand washing before meals - Jesus called their accusers hypocrites and said, "Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." When his disciples asked him, in private, what he meant, Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."

To put it bluntly, what Little Lotta had for lunch does not defile her - even if she ends up as big as a whale. It's what others say, in judging her, that defiles them. The Gospel of Jesus is not a gospel of beauty or success. It's a Gospel of changed hearts. To pervert it into a standard by which to judge others is to miss the point entirely.

Excessively Overweight: Against the WoW - Page 2 - Beliefnet Forums

[VisionOfLehi]

If I read it right, I disagree.

The Word of Wisdom is not merely a temporal law, but part of the spiritual Law of Health.

We are to take care of our tabernacles of clay, for they are just that: Tabernacles.

A healthy weight and living style is part of this. Good diet, exercise, sleep, etc.

It's pretty difficult, and I think a lot of people get by with just the things that let them into the temple...

But the WoW goes beyond that. You have to look beyond the letter of the law, and seek out the greater purpose.


Those who are above a healthy weight, without an underlying medical issue, aren't obeying the WoW in its full measure.

But that doesn't mean the people who have a temple recommend and a fit waistline are, either.

[MarginOfError]

Wow...very tight line to have to walk...

It's true, that people should strive to maintain their health, and the Word of Wisdom is a good model for how to do that. However, we're finding more and more evidence that many people have inherent disadvantages in maintaining their weight. This is a matter of degrees, and some have it worse than others.

Accepting this fact, it is possible for the majority of people to maintain their weight. We just have to recognize that it is much, much harder for some than it is for others. We shouldn't be judging people's righteousness by their weight because we don't know what the challenge to their body is to maintain a healthy weight.

[hordak]

Originally Posted by MarginOfError

Wow...very tight line to have to walk...

It's true, that people should strive to maintain their health, and the Word of Wisdom is a good model for how to do that. However, we're finding more and more evidence that many people have inherent disadvantages in maintaining their weight. This is a matter of degrees, and some have it worse than others.

Accepting this fact, it is possible for the majority of people to maintain their weight. We just have to recognize that it is much, much harder for some than it is for others. We shouldn't be judging people's righteousness by their weight because we don't know what the challenge to their body is to maintain a healthy weight.

Same goes for addiction

[tefor]

I've been in some wards where severely overweight members have been denied temple recommends on the basis of "Word of Wisdom Violation". The difficulty is that we don't know whether their weight problem is due to lifestyle or genetic issues. That said, however, I believe that our lifestyle does influence our genetically-based tendencies. It just means that some people might need to make more adjustments than others. For example, I have a genetic tendency toward depression, which means that I need to monitor my own thought habits more closely than somebody else might have to. (On a related note, studies have shown that stress is a contributing factor in weight gain, whether directly or through its impact on one's lifestyle.)

One problem is that we tend to focus too much on the "don'ts" of the WofW while ignoring the positive recommendations found there, along with learning more about healthy living. Meridian Magazine recently ran a very good article on how Latter-day Saints have ignored much of the counsel in the Word of Wisdom and are paying the price.

In all of this, of course, the key is to focus on ourselves and how we can improve, rather than judging each other. We don't know all of the variables that contribute to weight gain. In addition, many of us (myself included) could stand to lose a few pounds and are in no position to point fingers anyhow, especially on such a sensitive and personal issue.

[WANDERER]

If you're focussing on someone elses weight then you're not busy enough. Okay....if you have a loved one and they have health issues and you're trying to help them reach their (not your) goals and offering encouragement ....fair enough. If not you're too focussed on outward appearances I think you should be sentenced to wearing one really bad shirt in public...the WOW isn't about vanity...it's about health and that includes the whole person: mind, body and soul. Are you expressing your own vanity about your weight and the way in which you keep the WOW when you criticise others? Are you their stumbling block?

[mountainrider]

I think I am kinda qualified to comment on this one. I have recently lost a great deal of weight......about 80 pounds. For 10 years, I was way overweight and I used every excuse in the book not to get in shape and slim down. "I am big boned", "It is genetic", "I don't have time to exercise" etc etc etc. Last year, I decided I was done being overweight and I stumbled upon this magical weight loss formula. Here it is:

Eat less, exercise more

I did it the old fashioned way.....self discipline, hard work, determination. I do understand there are some realistic genetic challenges and medical challenges that contribute to being overweight and I am sensitive to those. However, I think alot of people use those excuses, and that's what they are, as a means to escape the hard work that it takes to remain fit. It is completely true that it is easier for some to stay fit than others. I have had to accept that I will gain 10 pounds just by driving past an In-n-Out Burger joint and taking a big whiff while Joe Knucklehead can eat there every day and not gain 1 pound. That sucks, but that is how it is for me.

I made weight loss my #1 personal priority (after my wife and kids, that is). I couldn't do it any other way. I had to commit to 1 hr/day on the treadmill and to forego treats that everyone else was having. This has worked for me and I feel better knowing that I am doing better at living the Word of Wisdom, which isn't just not partaking of alcohol/tea/coffee etc.

[Fiannan]

Okay, medical science has shown that being obese is more dangerous to your health than smoking. THat being the case I'd suggest every family out there watch "SuperSize Me" for a family home evening.

Obesity needs to be addressed. It can cause relationship problems -- face it, you have a harder time finding an eternal companion if you are obese. It can cause fertility problems and hamper one from having children. It can cause you to die at a much younger age and prevent you from givng service to your family and church in your middle-age and older years.

[MarginOfError]

I do understand there are some realistic genetic challenges and medical challenges that contribute to being overweight and I am sensitive to those. However, I think a lot of people use those excuses

I agree with this completely. By my comments earlier, I didn't mean to excuse complacency. I meant to bring awareness that the level of difficulty for people to control their weight varies by the individual. I just don't think it's our place to judge if someone is or isn't making sufficient effort.

Congratulations on your weight loss

[john doe]

I would be very careful in judging someone's righteousness based solely on their size or weight.