Scarsdale Public Schools



Gluttony: Not Just About Food

You don't have to live at the all-you-can-eat buffet to make a pig of yourself

BY: John D. Spalding

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This article first appeared on Beliefnet in 2002.

Lately I’ve worried I might be a glutton. I don’t frequent all-you-can-eat buffets. I do not lick butter pads, nor do I drain creamers. My weight is not approaching 400 pounds. Instead, I go to the gym—a lot. "Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking," wrote medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas, "but an inordinate desire … leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists."

Inordinate desire: that's me, boy. I’m a gym rat, exercising for up to two, sometimes three hours a day. Some afternoons, as I’m finishing my fifth set of bench presses--and after I’ve already climbed eight miles on the elliptical cross-trainer and jogged two miles on the treadmill—I consider how I’m spending my time and wonder, “Have I lost my priorities?”

Aquinas would have said yes. He didn’t discuss excessive exercise--in the Middle Ages, a treadmill would have been a torture device--but his principle is clear enough. Our desire for more of anything than we need is wrong. Nature, Aquinas says, endows us with appetites to ensure we consume what we need to survive (and, he’d say, to do God’s will).

That’s why food tastes good (at least some of it), and why a decent meal is pleasurable. Exercise, too, is essential to sustain a healthy lifestyle, and according to most doctors, we should exercise 2 to 3 hours a week to be fit. I workout every day, sometimes twice a day, for a total of 10 to 15 hours a week. And that's after cutting back. At one time, while averaging 10 to 12 miles a day jogging on the road, I would, once a month or so, put in 25 to 30 miles on the treadmill. This is like the average adult American eating 50 Big Macs in a single day.

For some exercise nuts, pride better describes their vice than gluttony. These are the types who boast about their running times or how much they can lift. (It's common knowledge that our president, who takes his treadmill on Air Force One, runs at a 6:45 pace and bench presses 185 pounds for five reps.) Competition, however, doesn’t interest me. I’ve never entered a marathon, nor felt the need to. When I ran 30 miles on a treadmill, I did it for the physical and mental challenge of it, for the (believe it or not) fitness of it, and for what I felt was the sense of freedom and escape it offered.

I didn't lack humility, then, but temperance, or self-control, which is the virtue that regulates gluttony. Heeding reason, Aquinas says, is the key to moderation. There’s nothing reasonable about running 30 miles on a treadmill (self-indulgent, reckless, yes). I was after the pure pleasure of it, the "runner’s high"--that euphoric rush of complex neuro-chemicals that clears the head, heightens the senses, and leaves you feeling deeply content and a bit spacey for hours.

The downside of this good feeling is, simply, obsession. Often when I’ve got an assignment to finish (say, an essay on gluttony), I’m continually interrupted by thoughts about my next workout. What if I can’t cut out and get to the gym this afternoon? What if I can’t exercise tomorrow, either? These grim possibilities make me anxious and irritable, unable to concentrate. So much so that--even as I recognize them to be classic symptoms of withdrawal—eventually I can no longer resist the urge to—ah, the hell with it—excuse me, will you? I'm just going to throw on my running shoes and go for a quick run…

Where was I? Oh yes. The church in Aquinas's day categorized gluttony as a mortal sin, but Aquinas said most people don't take it that far. The plain-vanilla overeater is motivated by the pleasures of food, not by a desire to destroy himself or herself. If we do injure ourselves, Aquinas says, it’s accidental--and its' true I never deliberately twisted an ankle or developed shin splints. But every hour I spend on the treadmill is an hour I didn’t spend with my family or helping someone in need. And the wasted minutes add up. Say I exercise 450 hours more each year than I need to. That’s a lot of time that I didn’t spend as a Big Brother.

But gluttony, in whatever form it's practiced, can be made into a deadly sin--a vice committed in such a way that contradicts the will of God. Gluttony can be pushed until it becomes a form of injustice, a sign of moral bankruptcy. True, few of us would be happy being gluttons to this degree in the gourmandizing sense; food gluttony is so unsightly, so gauche. But that doesn't mean we don't indulge in grievous gluttony in ways that make us look chicer, richer, happier. We live in a culture so steeped in gluttony--a vice we celebrate and wallow in as much as we do greed, the vice that enables us to be bigger gluttons—that it seems impossible for any of us to escape its hold.

A recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and reported at , says that the human consumption of energy, forests, and land now far exceeds the rate at which the planet can replenish itself. The Earth needs 1.2 years to regenerate the resources we use in a year, a ratio that’s increasing at an alarming rate. (In 1961, we demanded just 70 percent of the earth’s regenerative capacity.)

And we Americans are particularly gluttonous. In 1991, the average world resident consumed an average of 5.7 acres per year. Americans, however, took up 24 acres per person. (The United Kingdom consumed 13.3 acres per person.) The United States may be the greatest nation on earth, but we’re also by far the world’s biggest pigs. We cite our visible prosperity as proof of our virtue; we wear gluttony as a badge of our greatness.

The first step toward recognizing our collective gluttony is to own up to our individual sins. I’ll admit it--I’m a glutton. And as a step towards reform, I'm canceling today's workout. Instead, I will do something less self-indulgent, something that serves a higher purpose. Like start a group. I’ll call it Gluttons Anonymous, and extend an open invitation.

Not sure you belong? Say that, within reason, you need five pairs of shoes to get through your week. How many do you own? Fifteen pairs? Welcome to GA. Say you watch four hours of television a day, some 1,450 hours each year--about what the average American watches—including 28 hours a week of "The Young and the Restless" and "Blind Date." I welcome you to the club. How fast does your 8,000-pound SUV guzzle gas?

Wait, we’re going to run out of seats.

Thou Shalt Not Overeat

Most religions have strong injunctions against gluttony.

BY: Rebecca Phillips

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Those who deem the United States a gluttonous nation have a lot of evidence on their side: "Fast Food Nation," Eric Schlosser's chronicle of Americans' love affair with Big Macs, is on the New York Times bestseller list; millions of Americans tuned into Fox television recently for "The Glutton Bowl" (in which contestants vied for the title by gorging on revolting foods); each year, there are dozens of contests in pursuit of what the International Federation of Competitive Eating has termed "gustatory supremacy."

Stunt eating that glorifies gluttony should not be confused with simply eating too often and too much. For instance, Takeru Kobayashi, winner of the

recent "Glutton Bowl"

and who shattered the record for hot-dog consumption at Coney Island's annual contest last year, demonstrates that being overweight is not necessarily directly linked to gluttonous eating: Kobayashi weighs in at a bare 130-pounds.

But the faithful should still be concerned--for their souls, if not their wasteline. Nearly all religions have strong injunctions against gluttony and overeating, and don't often make much distinction between the two. A 1998 Purdue University study found that religious people are more likely to be overweight than other Americans. The Purdue researcher called overeating the overlooked sin in religion, compared to other fleshly sins like lust or adultery. Read on to see how gluttony is viewed in all religions.

BUDDHISM | CHRISTIANITY | CATHOLICISM

EASTERN ORTHODOXY | MORMONISM | HINDUISM

ISLAM | JUDAISM | PAGANISM

Buddhism

Buddhism encourages avoidance of sensory excess. The third Buddhist precept is the avoidance of excess of sex, but many Buddhists interpret this precept as avoiding gluttony in all areas. Buddhists try to transcend the senses but this is not necessarily achieved through suffering.

Though overeating is not propers, the Buddha warned that complete lack of eating is not proper either, and advised appropriate attention to the body's needs. The Buddha said: "You should lose your involvement with yourself and then eat and drink naturally, according to the needs of your body. Attachment to your appetites--whether you deprive or indulge them--can lead to slavery, but satisfying the needs of daily life is not wrong. Indeed, to keep a body in good health is a duty, for otherwise the mind will not stay strong and clear." (Discourse II)

Christianity: General

The book of Proverbs states, "Be not among winebibbers, or among gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. (Proverbs 23:20-21)." The New Testament also encourages moderation. St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)."

The Christian diet craze has been in full force in the past few years, spearheaded by writer Gwen Shamblin, whose recent books include "The Weigh Down Diet" and "Rise Above: God Can Set You Free from Your Weight Problems Forever." Shamblin's work is rooted in basic Christian theology about gluttony: overeat and bear the consequences.

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Christianity: Catholic

Catholic doctrine urges temperance as a way of respecting one's body and to "moderate attachment to this world's goods." According to the Catechism, "The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine." Gluttony is seen as the opposite of self-restraint and living uprightly, as both the New and Old Testaments show. The Bible cautions: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites (Sirach 18:30)" and "live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world (Titus 2:12)."

Catholicism teaches that gluttony is a sin when excessive eating or drinking impairs one's health or mental capacities. In most cases, gluttony is considered a pardonable sin, but there are people for whom, as St. Paul wrote, their "god is in their belly" (Phil. 3;19), and this constant overindulgence, and especially impairment because of it, would be a mortal sin. In Summa Theologica, St. Thomas

Aquinas wrote

that gluttony is indeed a sin, but it is not the greatest of sins.

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Christianity: Eastern Orthodox

Orthodox Christianity

emphasizes self-control

in humans, and restraint in eating is seen as one of the foremost indications of self-control. Gluttony is considered a capital, or mortal, sin. The consensus of the early church is "stop eating while you are still hungry and don't allow your stomach to be filled to satisfaction," according to the 4th-century saint John Cassian. Overeating is associated with the dulling of intelligence and a decreased ability to guard against temptations. Orthodox Christians believe that, as humans fell initially through eating (when Adam and Eve took the apple in the Garden of Eden), people must have a proper relationship with food to restore themselves to union with God. Orthodox Christians also abstain from certain foods during fast periods to gain strength in self-control.

Mormon

Mormons are often thought of as the poster-children of self-control, with many dietary and other restrictions, including no tobacco, alcohol, tea, coffee, or other caffeinated foods. Brigham Young reportedly said, "The greatest curse of the latter days will be gluttony." Mormons fast on the first Sunday of every month, in hopes that it will bring them closeness to God. A strict health code, called the

Lord's Law of Health

, emphasizes taking good care of one's body and avoiding excess eating. It states, "Because our bodies are important, our Father in Heaven wants us to take good care of them. He knows that we can be happier, better people if we are healthy."

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Hinduism

Hinduism teaches the importance of avoiding excess in several areas of life, including food consumption. The Hindu text the Tirukkural warns against overeating: "The thoughtless glutton who gorges himself beyond his digestive fire's limits will be consumed by limitless ills (95:947)."

The Hindu health system of ayurveda

teaches that certain foods

have spiritual elements. Proper intake of these foods keep the psyche and intellect in balance.

Contrary to a common perception, Hindus are not required to follow a vegetarian diet. Many Hindus do observe religious dietary restrictions by practicing vegetarianism. However Hindus are often vegetarians because they adhere to the principle of

ahisma

, or non-injury, rather than due to practicing self-restraint.

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Islam

While members of other religions often fast for a day at a time to strengthen their resistance to gluttony, Muslims fast for an entire month. The fast--no eating or drinking--during the holy month of Ramadan lasts from sunrise to sunset. Other prohibitions during the month include smoking and sex. The fast and other laws in Islam help Muslims

eschew gluttony

. As the Qu'ran says, "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may learn self-restraint (Al-Baqara, Surah 2:183)." Muslims are also discouraged from being too gluttonous when breaking the fast with the

iftar

meal., which is eaten immediately after sunset.

In addition to Ramadan, Islam places conditions on day-to-day eating. The Muslim dietary laws are called

halal

. Halal means "lawful" in Arabic. Halal meat must be killed according to Muslim slaughtering laws, similar to the Jewish laws of kashrut.

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Judaism

Jews are known for noshing, but gluttonous overeating is certainly not the Jewish way. Observant Jews turn every instance of eating into a sacred act, and the blessings uttered over any food that gets ingested are an impediment to uncontrolled eating. Judaism also discourages gluttony by the laws of kasruth, or

keeping kosher

, the strict dietary laws. The word kosher's Hebrew root means "proper" or "correct." Rules governing what can be eaten help people impose and understand self-control.

But Jews are not staunch ascetics, and Judaism does allow for occasional over-indulgence. On the holiday of Purim, for example, Jews are encouraged by the Talmud to drink until they cannot tell the difference between the words "Blessed be Mordechai" and "Cursed be Haman."

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Paganism

Earth-based religions are often associated with gluttony because of stereotypes of ancient pagan revelry, including eating and drinking. Pagans do celebrate food--the pagan festival cycle that is still followed originates from the agricultural cycle of planting and harvest. Contemporary pagans tend to treat their food and their bodies with more reverence, especially because of their awareness of human's place in nature, their concern for the earth, and their treating all living things with respect. Modern Pagans also emphasize taking care of members of the community, and overeating or gluttony leaves less for others.

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