Eating Responsibly

     Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is we are done talking about water. The bad news is we are moving on to food! We have an epidemic in this country; it is called obesity. Today, about one in three American adults is considered to be obese. Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. Body fat is determined by your BMI, Body Mass Index. The formula uses your height and weight. Here is a link to determine your BMI: http://www.bing.com/bmi/search?domain=bmi&q=BMI+calculator&FORM=DTPNUA
BMI Weight status
Below 18.5=Underweight
18.5 — 24.9=Normal
25.0 — 29.9=Overweight
30.0 and higher=Obese

Symptoms associated with obesity can include:

· Difficulty sleeping
· Snoring
· Sleep apnea
· Pain in your back or joints
· Excessive sweating
· Always feeling hot
· Rashes or infection in folds of your skin
· Feeling out of breath with minor exertion
· Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
· Depression

     If you're obese, you're more likely to develop a number of potentially serious health problems, including:

· Blood (fat) lipid abnormalities
· Cancer, including cancer of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, breast, colon, rectum and prostate
· Depression
· Gallbladder disease
· Gynecological problems, such as infertility and irregular periods
· Heart disease
· High blood pressure
· Metabolic syndrome
· Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
· Osteoarthritis
· Skin problems, such as intertrigo and impaired wound healing
· Stroke
· Type 2 diabetes

     I know that it is shocking to find out you are classified in the obese category. When I started doing something about my health, I found out that I was obese. I felt an array of feelings; shock, shame, anger, regret, hopelessness and embarrassment. I had ignored the facts and refused to look at myself. Every time I stood in front of a mirror, I would stand head on into it, stand as straight as I could, and suck it all in. This view was my best view and if I just took a quick glance, it wasn’t so bad. My new facts brought me out of my fantasy world and dropped me dead center into reality. It was here my process began. I had to realize that I didn’t get obese by accident. I was not controlling my eating. I was eating what I wanted and when I wanted. I was eating more than my body needed.

    For me, I had to take a good look at it from a spiritual perspective as well. I had one basic question! I had been in many Bible studies, I had attended numerous women’s retreats, I had sat through thousands of sermons, so why had I never heard any lesson on how God expects me to take care of my body? I had heard of the sin of gluttony, but why had I never heard any teaching on it? Maybe it has become so much a part of everyone’s life, nobody wants to talk about it. This is one reason why I feel convicted to teach about health and wellness to Christians. Since most of us are conditioned by our culture to think about our weight loss in January, this is why I am covering this subject this month.
   I did study the definition of Gluttony. “Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste. In some Christian denominations, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins—a misplaced desire of food or its withholding from the needy.” (Wikipedia) This definition only creates more questions. When does eating become over-indulgent? When is it considered over-consumption? When is it waste? For me, I believe it is when we eat more than our body needs, when we eat to the point of being miserable, and when we eat so much we hurt the health that God gives us. If I stand on what I believe, then I must confess that I still am working on this sin in my life. Many days, I still find myself eating more calories than my body needs. But I am committed to get all forms of gluttony out of my life no matter how long the journey takes me.
     Where do you live in regards to your health? Are you living in a state of denial or are you facing reality? We are not assured of tomorrow, so what better time to start a journey of health than today?

“And put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony”

Proverbs 23:2