Obesity in the Church

Obesity in the Church and a Theology of the Body

Rick Cherok considers obesity, body insecurity, and bodily stewardship through a biblical theology of the body. He argues that Christians should take body care seriously without reducing the body to vanity, shame, or cultural obsession.

• Obesity and body insecurity reveal a deeper cultural and spiritual problem.
• Christians need a theology of the body that values body and soul together.
• Body care should be shaped by stewardship, self-control, hope, and resurrection.

by Rick Cherok

The Most Resistance I’ve Ever Felt While Preaching

I’ve been preaching at my church since 2012. I’ve had a lot of reps with these wonderful people. But I have never felt more resistance (while preaching a sermon) than what I felt earlier this year! During a sermon on fasting, I spent five minutes talking about how unhealthy our relationships with food and drink have become, and the mood in the room was thick.

I cited recent research done by University of Louisville Health detailing alarming statistics on obesity in the state of Kentucky, and Louisville specifically.

• As of 2022, 37.7% of KY adults were classified as obese. This ranks KY fortieth in the nation.
• In Louisville, 39.9% of adults are obese, which is higher than the KY percentage.
• Approximately 19.6% of KY children age 10 to 17 are obese, ranking KY second highest in the U.S.
• Obesity rates are disproportionately high in the twelve low-income Louisville neighborhoods, indicating that obesity isn’t just a body issue; it’s a justice issue.
• 41% of adults in KY have a BMI of 30 or higher compared to 34% nationally.
• Nearly 14% of KY adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, placing the state fifth nationally.
• Approximately 40.3% of adults in KY have hypertension, also ranking KY fifth nationally.

We Have a Body Problem

I wonder what these numbers are for your community? They may not be this bad, but if you live in the U.S., they’re probably not good. There has been a regulatory failure by the government. Profit is prioritized over health. We allow too much processed food on the shelf. Then there is the affordability of healthy food. Sugary food that’s bad for you is cheaper and more available than food that’s good for you.

With our unhealthy relationship to food comes incredible body insecurity. It feels like people either don’t care or become totally obsessed. They agonize over every small flaw on their body. They become workout freaks. They starve themselves. They get surgeries and expensive beauty treatments. These things make us happy … until we notice the next blemish … then the next one … then the next one. Because of this, there is the emerging popularity of GLP-1s. One out of eight Americans have used theme.

Women, especially, are unfairly targeted to meet impossible standards of bodily beauty. I’ve also seen young men in my community targeted. Have you heard of “looks maxing”? Apparently, some young men are literally micro-breaking their jaws to have a better jawline and micro-cracking their heels to grow taller. The goal is to be a “Chad”. Cosmetic surgeries and Botox have now become routinely common, which raises the question of when is this acceptable? I had a friend who struggles with gender dysphoria once ask, “What’s the difference between a trans person getting breast enhancements to feel more comfortable in their body and a middle-aged woman doing the same?” It is a question worth consideration.

A century ago, obesity was not as widespread. People had more physically demanding jobs. There was less ultra-processed food, less sedentary screen-based lives, and less affluence. The world of the Bible couldn’t imagine a culture of plenty like we inhabit. Could you imagine asking the disciples for advice on weight-loss goals?

• “John, I got to get bathing suit ready for lake season! Any advice?”
• “Paul, what’s God’s will for me—a calorie deficit or bulking?”
• “Peter, have you tried Keto?”

We have a body problem.

We Need a Body Theology

Before we come up with a list of practical solutions, we should start by establishing a theology of the body. What are the biblical anchors regarding our physical bodies that can help us proceed with wisdom? A full body theology is beyond the scope of this column, but I might suggest four anchors as we work this out.

1. Humans are made of (at least) two equally important parts – body and soul

Our souls are not more important than our physical bodies. Notice how Adam (the first human) is made in Genesis 2:7 … dust and breath, body and soul. It’s the opposite of how many Christians understand themselves. We assume that our inner life is more important than our outer life. After all, passages like 1 Samuel 16:7 imply that God does not look at the outer appearance but at the heart. While this is true, this is not a statement of priority. It simply means the physical body serves a different purpose. It’s not the place we form our moral motivations.

Maybe you were taught the idea of preexisting souls. Some believe that humans exist in heaven as souls before we are born. Then, when it’s our time, God wipes our memory and gives us a body-shell to be born into. This belief is not biblical. It was rejected by giants of the church like Augustine and Aquinas. It was taken from Plato, not Scripture. It’s what Mormons, Hindus, and Buddhists believe, but not people of the Word. We believe body and soul are essential and equal to who we are.

2. Body and soul function differently but interdependently

Our bodies are the physical domain through which we enact our image-bearing purpose. In Genesis 1:27-28, God creates his images with material, gendered, and uniquely powerful bodies compared to other creations. Our bodies are gendered because, like God, we have been given the capacity to create life—“Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth.” Our bodies are uniquely empowered because, like God, we have been given the capacity to create leadership—“Rule and reign.”

An image of a god during ancient times was an idol—a physical representation of the power and presence of an invisible deity. Israel was commanded to have no images. Why? All the other nations were doing idols. Perhaps because God had already created his images: us! N.T. Wright once said that we serve like angled mirrors. We summon the worship of creation up to the Creator and reflect the will of the Creator out into creation. We do all this through our bodies. They are the concrete place of worship and obedience.

While the body is the concrete material form through which we act and do, the soul is the immaterial center of our reason, will, and emotions. These two depend on each other. If either is hurt, it will inhibit the other. The soul is dependent on a functional body. If we suffer a concussion to our brain matter, it will impact our ability to think and feel. On the flipside, the body depends on the soul. If we are struggling emotionally, it will impact our body’s ability to operate to its potential.

3. Our bodies will inevitably suffer from the fallout of sin, and everyone’s suffering will be different

I would put the bodily brokenness we acquire over time into three categories of causation: (1) Brokenness from our own sinful choices, (2) Brokenness from the sinful choices of others, and (3) Brokenness from the multi-generational systemic presence of sin/death in the world. All three of these factors will impact each of us uniquely, which is why everyone’s bodily brokenness looks different.

4. Body and soul are made for eternal union, separated at death but reunited at the resurrection

One interesting thing we Christians believe is that when you die, you don’t actually die all the way. Death isn’t as tragic as you think because only part of you dies … your body. Your soul remains alive, and it goes to be with Jesus (Lk. 23:43; Phil. 1:21-23). That is where your soul remains until the final resurrection when the whole world is remade and our bodies are resurrected and reunited with our souls (1 Cor. 15:12-58). At this time, all of our physical and spiritual brokenness will be completely healed.

Summarizing Thoughts

If these theological anchors are true, this should impact how we steward our bodies.

1. If our bodies are as important as our souls, then Christians should be concerned with body care to the same degree that we are with soul care. Gaining the world is not worth losing our souls, and gaining the world is not worth destroying our bodies either.

2. If our bodies and souls function interdependently, then body care can either limit or unlock our spiritual potential. We should exercise wisdom, self-control, and care for our bodies. I’ll never forget a conversation I had with a friend. He was lamenting the health of his aging father who had not taken care of his body. With a tear in his eye, he said, “I have to get my body right. I don’t want my physical health to ever limit my spiritual calling. I don’t want it to limit my ability to do mission work. To sweat and serve. To inspire and lead. To invest in my grandchildren or care for my wife. To love my neighbor.”

3. If our bodies will inevitably suffer from the fallout of sin, then we must control the variables here that we can. We have limited control over the sin of others or the systemic presence of sin in the world, but we can control our own sinful choices. When we choose self-control over self-indulgence, stewardship over vanity, we limit sin’s power of our bodies.

4. If body and soul are destined for eternal union, this gives us incredible hope. No matter how broken our bodies or sinful our past, all can be forgiven and all will be healed. We press on, forgetting the past, straining forward toward the goal.

Author: Rick Cherok

Rick Cherok serves as Managing Editor of Christian Standard, Executive Director of Celtic Christian Mission, and Director of Men’s Services at Kentucky Christian University.