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Demographic note in a review of R. Marie Griffith's Born Again Bodies:

Though Griffith does not say much about it, there is a Giant Pooka in the story, and it keeps popping up in unexpected places. Bluntly put, the diet industry, Christian and otherwise, is fighting an unwinnable battle. Sociologists, she tells us, have found that religious practice correlates positively with obesity. Christians in general and Southern Baptists in particular are the heaviest.

Christian dieting and American culture

Richard Evans Lee
December 03, 2005 •
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Obesity is a serious health issue. Any other health issue that affected this many in our population this seriously would have experts looking for causes. But obesity has a behavioral component, so it tempts people to treat it as a character defect, especially when so many of its sufferers are poor. There are many contributing factors and taken together these create something of a perfect storm. Here are just a few. The Rand Corporation has found a sharp increase in the cost of healthy foods and a steady decline in the cost of junk foods. Then there's availability. Poor neighborhoods do not have Whole Foods - they have expensive bodegas. People are having to work two jobs - when to shop, cook, work out, etc? Health insurance and prescription costs are through the roof - people forgo needed medicines and self medicate with whatever they can afford - often food. Asthma is rampant in poor neighborhoods. Asthma is terrifying - food is comforting. God is comforting to many. It's no surprise to see people in distress turning to the cheapest, easiest things available to diminish their tensions. We've got a problem here - a public health issue - overeating is a symptom.

Posted by: Miss Poppy | April 10, 2006 8:35 AM

How do you feel?

Feel free to share your feelings about Fat Baptists. Please stick to the theme of the entry. Disagreement is fine. Homophobia, racism, and kindred expressions of hatred will be deleted. This site is one of my hobbies. I genuinely enjoy hearing from people and hate moderating or killing comments. Forthright disagreement is fine as long as it is civil.
My thanks,
Richard

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