Weight Loss Narrative In the Church
How many times have you picked up a new book or bible study for the author to open with a scenario surrounding a personal struggle with weight. I can think of three off the top of my head - including one I just started listening to on marriage. So why the frequent weight loss analogies in our Christian books?
Why are we talking about weight in the church?
In general, as a culture we are hyper-focused on weight and our bodies. There are many reasons for this, including but not limited to: comparison culture, the normalization of body dysmorphia through photo / video filters on social media, and the overwhelming impact of the diet industry and pseudo wellness products on the way we view “health.”
Unfortunately, the pursuit of weight loss is relatable. Many women (and men) have struggled throughout their lives or will struggle at some point with the dieting and weight loss cycle.
This does not exclude church leaders and authors, and I offer them so much grace & compassion, because I have been there too. I’ve fallen into the trap and false hope of dieting. The quote below speaks to my own journey of personal growth and learning to help others grow in this area — it’s a welcomed reminder that we all need grace.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ―Maya Angelou
Dieters often are attempting to control their bodies due to fear. But in the upside down Kingdom, God’s Kingdom, He calls us to surrender our fear and put our trust in Him rather than in diets.
Many people pursue diets or weight loss due to fear of weight gain, chronic disease, etc. Our culture paradoxically equates weight gain to adverse health, when actually weight alone does not define health status — weight change can be a useful indicator of health, but it is not the final authority.
Health is not one size fits all. Health is not a certain size or weight.
If you are familiar with Joyful Health Co™, you know that we are a weight-neutral organization with a goal to help you step away from the revolving door of diets and the deflating pursuit of weight loss. Our goal is to dig deeper. We ask heart questions and explore the answers together. We get down to root issues like, “What is driving your desire for weight loss?” Is it to fit a cultural ideal — Victoria Secret model of the early 2000s? Most of us are not Victoria Secret models, and skinny doesn’t equal healthy or happy.
Where diet culture praises thinness, restrictive eating, and extreme exercise, we know that this is neither sustainable nor healthy.
We are whole beings - mind, body, and soul - one part cannot be disconnected from the other.
As humans, we have a physical need for food, which can be viewed as a metaphor for our daily need for Christ. We cannot escape the reality of either of these needs. Jesus is the bread of life. We fuel our bodies with food that perishes, but we fuel our souls with that, that does not perish - the son of God that gives us eternal life, in Him.
The design of our bodies and the connection with our mind and souls are all on purpose. God created our diverse bodies with beautifully designed cues and rhythms. Additionally, He is graciously detail-oriented and cares about our lived experiences - He gave us taste buds to foster joy and satisfaction. Yes, there are things in this broken world that disrupt our rhythms (thyroid issues, medication side effects, eating disorders, etc.), but nonetheless these rhythms were designed so intricately and for a good purpose.
Tactics of the Enemy that Dismantle Rhythms of Embodied Grace
Manipulation of Scripture and the Bible is a scheme of the enemy to divide us and turn us away from each other and God. I have seen different diets reference scripture and even a course that equates itself to the “Exodus Out of Egypt” deliverance of God's chosen people from slavery (the bondage to food and dieting) to the promised land (being permanently thin). This sounds great, but upon further research, this program is laden with commendation, guilt, and shame.
Commendation, guilt, shame, and anxiety are not from God. He calls us to cast our anxieties on Him and to not worry. He doesn’t say “do not worry” to be dismissive of our human fears and struggles, but because surrendering them to Him and focusing on Him is better— for our hearts, our minds, and our bodies:
“‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Culture tries to sell us lies of striving, claiming we’d be “more worthy” if we better fit cultural ideals, this drives a cycle of discontentment and induces shame, but the gospel pours out grace.
Surrender your striving to the one that has already won the race, who has taken your place on the cross, and who declares Victory beyond this life!
Rooting Our Health Rhythms in Grace
If you are a Christian, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19, your body is a temple. This means that the Holy Spirit lives and dwells inside of you. You are not your shortcomings or brokenness in this life. YOU are a temple of the living God. This verse is often twisted to guilt people into being “healthy” - guilt and shame don’t move us forward, they weigh us down.
As a child of God and a dietitian my goal is to empower others to steward their bodies well. I want people to engage in health-promoting behaviors (eating in a way that nourishes them well - while allowing for flexibility, moving their bodies with joy). I want people to feel good in their bodies while they’re here.
Honoring our bodies and intuitive health allows us to steward our bodies while keeping our focus on the glory of God - without diets & extreme regimens that can turn into idols.
I have personally never met a pastor that is also a registered dietitian (a nutrition expert professionally trained in medical nutrition therapy) or a nutritionist, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there. Pastors do a wonderful job shepherding their flock and want the best for them, but we as congregants must be wise and discerning when it comes to health information, even from the pulpit. Just remember that even leaders are human and are doing their best with what they know and the experiences that they’ve had. If you feel comfortable doing so, having a productive conversation may open their mind to the harm they may not know that they could potentially be causing harm through congregation-wide diet promotion.
I invite the body of Christ, including our church leaders, to assess the messages around health that they have both received and have taught, and to be open to learning and doing better moving forward.
How Can We Influence Positive Change for a Healthy Church?
Begin on a journey to make peace with your here and now body today. Here are several resources and ways to take action right away:
Work with a coach, dietitian, therapist or community group that practices a weight neutral approach to health.
If a dietitian is what you’re looking for, I would love to help! I work with clients one-on-one through my private practice, Grace Rooted Nutrition, and would love to work with you. You can reach out about coaching here.
Tune into your God-given signals for food and movement and cultivate Gratitude for your body with our Body Blessings Course.
Meditate on the truth about your good body with Joyful Health Co™ coach, Amanda Reynolds’ Body Image Cards.
Your words matter. The way we talk about our Bodies and others’ bodies matters.
Cultivate curiosity instead of casting judgment
When you look in the mirror and hear the enemy speaking dissatisfaction, speak truth instead about what your body does for you - gratitude has been proven to be a useful tool to fight against anxiety, which is often a root of body dissatisfaction.
Preach truth to yourself, daily
Post reminders of your worth in Christ, that the body you are in is GOOD and made on purpose by God.
Speak truth into others
In her book, Breaking Free From Body Shame, Jess Connolly uses the line, “Please don’t talk about my friend that way” when her friends are speaking lies or casting judgements about their bodies. I LOVE that! Sometimes we need a sprinkle of kindness and a gentle disruption from regular, but harmful, conversations we have around bodies.
You always, always, ALWAYS have permission to opt out of diet talk
Whether diet talk comes up among friends at bible study or a recommended diet from your leader at the front of church - always use your Holy Spirit guided discernment to do what is best for you and your journey and for your personal health, relationship with God, food and your body.
Just like you have permission to opt out of being weighed at the doctor’s office if it’s triggering to you, you always have permission to set your own boundaries for conversations and uphold them, even if that means stepping away.
All this to say, it is our responsibility as individuals to control what we can and set boundaries for our own hearts with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We cannot control others including our fellow Christians, but we are called to love them and pray for them. So would you join for us in praying over this issue?
A Prayer for the Church and It’s relations
A Prayer for the Church, Weight, and Health:
Dear Father in Heaven, Holy Spirit within us, and King Jesus.
We bring to you the brokenness of this life, including within the church.
We know that your power is made perfect in weakness. We lift up our church and the bondage and shame we feel within our physical bodies. We lift up our struggles with body image and dieting. We pray that when we are fearful, we would would trust in you, and when we feel the need to control and restrict, we would surrender to and rest in you.
We pray that YOUR truth that you made us in your image and have declared our bodies good reigns over the lies of the enemy.
We pray that we would live by the truth and the freedom of the Spirit and not by flesh. That you would inform our decisions and empower us to find unforced rhythms of grace in our lives and in our health.
YOU are our ultimate healer. You know our future, our present, and our past.
YOU care about the details of our lives, from the joy that food brings us, to the way that it nourishes our bodies.
We pray that as the body of Christ we would lean into the cues you designed us with.
We pray that guilt and shame would have no power over the body, but that we would steward our health from a place of rest and grace. You bless us when we rest in you. You are the King of the upside down Kingdom and we pray that we would live out that Kingdom here in this world as we look forward to the day of restoration and completeness. You blessed us with mind, body, and spirit - let us not feel pressured to separate one from the other, to better fit a cultural mold, but instead unify to live well in the Spirit. You are a faithful father, guide, and advocate. We thank you and praise you. Amen!
