The problem with gluttony
It's not what you think
Fat people like me who dare to talk about our bodies positively are often accused of glorifying obesity* or of condoning gluttony. Heck yes, I’m glorifying obesity, if that means rejoicing in the goodness of my fat body! I can honestly say, I love being fat. And I want that for others who find themselves in bodies like mine. I know it’s uncouth to say it, but fat is good!
Regarding gluttony, let’s take a look at it.
What is gluttony?
According to Merriam-Webster, gluttony is:
excess in eating or drinking;
greedy or excessive indulgence.
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘gluttony’? For some of us, it’s connected to an image of a fat person, right? A lot of the time, these two definitions are connected, especially in portrayals of fat characters. See the image below for an example of the evil, rich, fat man.
Cartoonish tropes aside, I think that Merriam-Webster’s definition needs some clarification, at least in how “gluttony” has been used in the places I’ve frequented. Mostly, I’ve heard it used in a religious context—how about you? From the pulpit, I’ve heard sermonizing about bodies and how we can’t overindulge in the desires of our flesh. These desires generally include food and drink, when we’re talking about gluttony.
However, I think the perception of gluttony as overeating is missing the point. There is no “over”eating—each body needs a differing amount of calories for energy, and no person can decide what that is for another person. Also, I think God couldn’t care less about the size of our bodies. Why do I think that?
Well, as a person of Christian faith, according to the Scriptures, I am charged to do 2 things:
-love God
And
-love my neighbor.
How does gluttony play into these requirements?
In her book Fat & Faithful, J. Nicole Morgan defines gluttony as “consumption that harms our neighbor.”
Morgan reframes the issue of gluttony around neighbor care instead of individual consumption, which is revolutionary.
If we aren’t called to be thin or even healthy above all else, what is the point of having a body? That’s a whole ‘nother essay. But I will venture to say it boldly: Christians have no responsibility or obligation to be thin or even healthy.
Instead, we are called to:
-do justice
-love mercy
and
-walk humbly with God…
All of which we can do in our bodies no matter their size, ability, or measure of health.
In light of this, “gluttony” takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s not:
-“overeating”
-eating the “wrong” kind of food
-enjoying a feast
-eating whatever you want
It’s indulgence that harms our neighbor, like:
-eating someone else’s share of the food
-profiting off of someone else’s exploitation
-consuming more than our share of natural resources…
I hope this helps sharpen the edges of what can seem to be a blurry problem.
What does this revolutionary definition of gluttony mean for you? I’d love to hear your feedback!
Peace,
Amanda Martinez Beck
P.S. To reframe your thinking about bodies and faith, read Morgan’s Fat & Faithful and my books MORE OF YOU: The Fat Girl’s Field Guide to the Modern World and LOVELY: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me.
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*A note to readers: the word “obesity” is supposedly for clinical use, but it gets thrown around—inside and outside of clinics—to denigrate and belittle large-bodied people. Some of us even think it is reaching the level of a slur.
Images:
Evil, rich, fat man: Pixabay.com
Amanda with the gluttony definition: from my Instagram @your_body_is_good