Concern about the STayLDS Article

Well, you have to admit that, though many of us struggle with it, not being obese would be a good thing. If the church really *did* help in that area, it would be one more reason to stay with it, but, I have no idea how that got on the list. It sounds more like a wish-list of generic ‘healthy lifestyle’ things to me, some of which apply, and some of which clearly don’t.

Well, without trying to be too insensitive to SD or any others on this board, as a beer drinker and pipe smoker, I think if the article is going to address “healthy lyfestyles” than the whole obese thing should it stay in there right along with alcoholic and tobacco. (don’t single me out! 🙂 )

I understand that there are genetics involved with excess weight in many cases. There are also many cases where it has nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with crappy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Whatever the cause, it still is unhealthy to be overweight and if the church can encourage folks to work at being as healthy as their potential allows, regardless of the causes, then I’m fine with it.

My point is that it DOESN’T do much to encourage a healthy body weight — in fact, as I said above, it actually can be a negative influence on it. For me, having the obesity clause in there is akin to saying:

“Another reason for staying in the Church is a flexible, collaborative way of running the Church’s business, low financial and time commitment, and a place where same sex couples, intellectuals and single people can feel right at home.”

You read that and it makes your skin crawl. If there are benefits, then they should truly be benefits.

…one passage that offends me every time I read it. It’s in the Why Stay (or similar) section where it talks about one reason to stay in the Church is because of all the clean living. It mentions this:

“Many benefit from the encouragement and support the church can provide to avoid alcohol,

tobacco, pornography, adultery, financial debt, obesity, materialism, cynicism, etc. This type of social environment and encouragement is extremely valuable to us and to our families.”

I have struggled with weight problems my whole life. What offends me about this reference to obesity in the How to Stay article is that there are genetic dispositions to weight gain many people have to face…frankly, my struggle with weight problems started on my mission — that was the trigger…lumping obesity in with financial problems, alcohol, etcetera is not a fair statement. I would recommend taking that one out.

Well, without trying to be too insensitive to SD or any others on this board, as a beer drinker and pipe smoker, I think if the article is going to address “healthy lyfestyles” than the whole obese thing should it stay in there right along with alcoholic and tobacco. (don’t single me out!)…Whatever the cause, it still is unhealthy to be overweight and if the church can encourage folks to work at being as healthy as their potential allows, regardless of the causes, then I’m fine with it.

First of all, it’s a scientific fact that funeral potatoes and cookies are typically much more fattening than meats like chicken and fish. I lost more weight by breaking the WoW by eating more meat for every single meal and drinking coffee instead of energy drinks and soft drinks loaded with sugar than I ever would have by being a vegetarian the way the WoW recommends. To me the entire list is offensive even the points I’ve never struggled with like financial debt and tobacco because it sounds judgmental toward people that do. Also, it sounds too idealistic to me; you might as well say the Church helps members permanently avoid wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony plus all addictions and substance abuse too.

I disagree with the entire perfectionist notion that anyone can successfully avoid all of these “sins” for very long. Anyone that thinks they are anywhere near perfect is a self-righteous hypocrite in my opinion. In reality, it’s more a matter of degrees of success rather than ever completely avoiding all of this at the same time. That’s why I think it would be better to encourage members to do the best they can without acting like they are complete failures if they struggle with one or more of these things more than the typical active member pretends is the case for them.

That line doesn’t really bother me because I take that aspect of the WoW to mean eat balanced meals which is what all nutrionist say. I don’t know if the church really does anything actively to encourage this like it does with the not drinking or smoking aspect though so I can see why it could be upsetting for someone truly struggling with weight.

On a bit of a sidenote- I was talking with a friend who pointed out a lot of contestants on the show BIggest Loser have been LDS. She said obviously we aren’t doing a great job teaching healthy eating and exercise.

The problem I have with the WoW is the eating suggestions are wrong for most overweight people, it recommends high fast burn carbs, not slow burn healthy carbs. But it was written when those grains weren’t processed to pulp and made into sugar breads.

I don’t think a good deal of members or non-members eat healthy. And if we are going to get nit-picky about health…er Tea is a whole lot healthier than any sodas (diet non-caffienated included). :shh:

My opinion is if God is going to kick me out of heaven because I drink tea or eat a candy bar…then I might as well give up and go ahead and commit bigger sins. If I’m goin to hell, I might as well do it in style and make it worth it, and bad eating habits and drinking the wrong things seem pretty petty to me.

Namely, that maybe the LDS Church isn’t such a great teacher of the way of happiness after all. SD opened the thread to point out that he doesn’t feel the church did what might be expected to point him the way to good health. And I think that can probably be said about many points across the board. The church is often much better at scolding than at showing the Way. I felt this keenly as I listened to Brother Eyring’s recent conference story about the distraught elderly brother who had followed the LDS religion all his life and yet was filled with doubt, fear, and frustration.

My wife and I agreed that the Church is always telling us the outcomes we should be achieving, but there is little in the way of “how to”. When the answer to every problem is pray, fast, read the scriptures and come to Church, it gets pretty thin. I honestly found the solutions to most of my problems in life were found in:

a) Medical treatment or advice.

b) Professional advice or writing (saved my marriage)

c) Personal advice from professionals with the know how.

There have, on occasion, been interventions from God — I don’t dispute that — but most of the time, the Church tells us what the outcomes are with little skill development or advice about how to get there.

I keep meaning to go back and make a few minor edits to that article, including adding the WoW and Priesthood Blessings section.

I think I will take that word out. I remember thinking it was odd before too when I read it. I don’t mind saying things in the article that challenge people. But I really don’t think the LDS Church directly addresses obesity in one way or the other in our theology. I also don’t think our culture encourages or discourages it, but the practices often make it harder for folks. Food is one of the last remaining pleasures in a worldview where everything else is so correlated with sin, and so controlled and regimented.

Honestly except for discouraging smoking and alcoholism, I don’t think our current Mormon culture (based on our modern, quirky interpretation of D&C 89) really encourages good health, or really cares about it much.

I’m tempted to do what cwald did and make this part of my signature quotation.