Is It Immoral to Be Overweight? - Contemporary Voices

Question:

As a fitness trainer, I wonder: do health and fitness have a place in Judaism? It seems that the secular world encourages a healthy life far more than the Jewish world does. I hear rabbis talk about spiritual matters, but find it hard to listen to them if they themselves are overweight. Is physical wellbeing not important?

Answer:

The scales of merit are not found in heaven anymore, but are right there on the bathroom floorIn our modern world, we are seeing health as the new morality. Good and bad are now measured in calories. My cereal box invites me to “taste the goodness”—not a moral value, but rather a nutritional one. The scales of merit are not found in heaven anymore, but are right there on the bathroom floor, and the daily judgment is pronounced in kilos and pounds.

This all makes sense if you see the human being as just a body without a soul. If the flesh is all there is, health becomes the highest ideal. But from the Jewish perspective, the soul is our true self, and the body its vehicle. The body and its health are important only because through them we express our higher self. More so, while our body houses our soul, it is a gift from our Creator to use while we are in this world. As it is on loan to us and therefore does not truly belong to us, we must always treat it with respect.

The great Jewish thinker, Maimonides, wrote in the 12th century:

“Caring for the health and wellbeing of the body is one of the ways of serving G‑d.”

And he immediately explains why:

“One is unable to think clearly and comprehend truth if he is unwell.”

If your mind is cloudy, you may lack moral clarity to know what’s right. While battling with illness, we may not find the stamina to battle the ills of the world. That’s why we need to look after our bodies. A healthy body is not in itself our life’s purpose; it helps us fulfill our purpose. It is a vehicle that transports us towards goodness, but it is not the destination.

Jewish tradition provides no excuse for being unhealthyJewish tradition provides no excuse for being unhealthy. On the contrary, it gives the best reason possible to live healthy: life has meaning and purpose, and each day is precious. Only if life has meaning is it worth taking care of. The risks of high cholesterol, heavy smoking and drug use are a concern only to one who values life. The threat of a shorter lifespan means nothing to someone who sees life as pointless.

We are the healthiest generation in recent history, and our life expectancy is reaching biblical proportions. This means we have more time and energy to fulfill our purpose—to elevate our corner of the world, and tip the scales towards true goodness.

By Aron Moss

Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.

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January 10, 2013

The Rambam

The Rambam outlined everything with regards to eating and health long before modern science came around.
"Exercise daily, until you break a sweat, cool down, rest (and shower if possible), and then eat.
Eat only when hungry and drink only when thirsty.
Never eat until you are full. In the winter, eat until you are 3/4 full. In the summer, eat 2/3rds of what you eat in winter.
Eat a diet based on whole grains, vegetables, nuts (he was big on almonds), soft cheeses, fruits and lean meats.
A person who exercises, even if he occasionally eats unhealthy foods, will always be healthy.
"Overeating is a poison for the body and the primary cause of all sickness. Most illnesses are brought on by harmful foods or by gorging oneself, even with healthful food."
Taken from "Fundamentals of the Rambam: Ethical and Inspirational Laws and Writings of Maimonides", Vol I, (c) 2005, Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Finkel, Yeshivath Beith Moshe, Scranton, PA (this book is based on the Rambam's "Mishneh Torah")

Anonymous

November 20, 2011

Anon, you are right. But, there are levels.

From overweight, you become obese. From obese, you become morbidly obese. Then comes super-morbidly obese. At this point, it is like committing suicide. Is suicide immoral in Judaism? When the obesity has an emotional cause, such as abuse, then the eating itself becomes much like alcoholism or drug addiction. It's a way to escape life. Unlike drugs and alcohol, where you can go "cold turkey", people NEED fuel to live. It is the point where we separate food as fuel from food as a crutch or comfort that the lines of morality become confused. I would also add using any food as a way to show obedience or love of G-d is also immoral. This is done RAMPANTLY by MANY religions, not just Judaism. To me, it is immoral to pair eating with spirituality or goodness. All eating should be is FUEL for the body and NOTHING else. Not for pleasure, not for rituals, not for proof of loving G-d. Yes, food can hold together a family like at mealtime. But what kind of food? High sugar stuff is bad.

Karen Joyce Chaya Fradle Kleinman Bell
Riverside, CA, USA

November 20, 2011

The ostrich way is not a safe way of life!

Suggesting a better way to live is a compassionate way for trying to help – Telling a person that they are beautiful the way they are or encouraging them in their way knowing that its killing them slowly, that is Immoral. Is a doctor warning you of the consequences of your acts a Preacher? Or is he actually trying to help you and save you from a unavoidable outcome?

Feigele
Boca Raton, Florida

November 19, 2011

Is being overweight immoral?

Everyone has a different body type.
does that mean that the 5" lady who wears a size12 is less healthy than the thin bulmic. No! then why is she viewed as being heathier.
Self-righteous preachings are immoral bigotry is immoral.
The reasons for obesity often are the result of abuse during childhood. During the years I was obese I was even made fun of when I was working out at the gym! I finally lost the weight and guess what my bio family said I had become narcissic and selfish. Some really sick people out there! The reason I'm even talking about myself is that there are many reasons why a person is overweight and maybe love and understanding and not preaching!

Anonymous
Melbourne, Florida
jewishbrevard.com

November 16, 2011

What is “unlimited fruits?”

No soda no junk food!!! You can have fruits in between meals as oppose to junk food. A meal consists of part protein, meat/chicken or fish, some carb and some veggies. In a day you don’t have to eat pounds and pounds of anything, but 2 or 3 fruits more or less and in small portion, even with fruits and veggies you cannot go overboard. I love cheese so in the morning I will have a small non-fat portion of it, my cholesterol is under control, with some medicine though. I am not sure why they discourage dairy food but I will still have some, all in small portion and non-fat. And you start over the next day, and next day, and so on… We are all stressed in this world that’s why we need to try our best to survive any way we can. By the way, there is nothing immoral about our body as long as it is not hurting anyone else.

Feigele
Boca Raton, Florida

November 15, 2011

Hi, Kathy. Thank you.

I need all the good wishes I can get. I recently found out that I may have some sort of obesity related mortality issue and am taking medicine for it (some form of cancer or inflammation in the blood). If I had it to do over again, I would never have allowed myself to get sedentary or to overeat and eat the wrong foods and have incorrect portions. Please, everyone, LEARN from my mistakes. Don't get or stay obese. It is NOT healthy.

Karen Joyce Chaya Fradle Kleinman Bell
Riverside, CA, USA

November 15, 2011

We are thinkers :)

Feigele and Karen:
I think you both have some wonderful points, although Feigele, you probably can't have unlimited fruits. I think all this (respectful) dialogue just shows how difficult this subject really is. The researchers really don't know what to do about obesity. I'm a former medical writer who has written a lot about weight control and obesity. One local doctor received a huge grant from the National Institutes of Health to do a long term obesity intervention project. In the end, he told me, "people do the best they can." That about sums it up for me. By the way, the researcher/physician himself was obese. "I would be more heavy if I didn't exercise," he told me. His goal was to keep his obesity at as low a level as possible. BTW, Feigele and Karen: I really admire your efforts and wish you the best of health:)

Kathy

November 15, 2011

Anon., you have some points.

In fact, there is one famous doctor who wrote a book saying we should eat a POUND of fruit and a POUND of vegetables every day before we even think of eating any other food group. If we add extra water and watery, non sugared drinks, our stomachs would be way too full to overeat. No? But, again, I feel pairing food consumption with loving Go-d is very, very physically and emotionally dangerous.

Karen Joyce Chaya Fradle Kleinman Bell
Riverside, CA, USA

November 14, 2011

Don't feel guilty! just try.

I am not saying do what I do, all I am saying: “moderation and selection of food” – there is not one day that I don’t think of food, first there is my husband asking for it, then I have the children over, then I need healthy food to survive according to my diabetes. We all think of food all the time. As a child I was tiny, later on with age I became a little bit chubby but not obese but I knew that if I didn’t watch I would then become obese and that was not in my personality to be one. I always struggle too to remain at a descent weight it was never easy and I am not slim either, this is my constitution. I would get my children goodies and just have a bite of it, I would eat birthday cake, but just one small piece and no more and once in a while a little bit of ice cream. I can go on with all the deprivation but I was satisfied, I exercise even when too tired and eat mostly veggies and fruits.I know how hard it is and understand how you feel, everyone is different.

Feigele
Boca Raton, Florida

November 14, 2011

in perspective....

Feigele: You have some excellent points! But too many people, like my father, are preoccupied with food because of long term dieting - research has shown food restriction is well known to provoke obsession with food. In their endless struggle to get/stay thin, heavy people waste time that would be better spent enjoying life, doing mitzvot, etc.
An area primary care doctor once said, "Obese people who get thin and stay thin have to make keeping their weight down almost like a religion." It's really sort of sad to see a person who is genetically meant to be hefty stuggle and struggle to keep their weight down, and hate themselves when they fail (again.) 95 percent of dieters regain their lost weight within two years. This is NOT to advocate gluttony, but rather to emphasize 1. genetics play a huge role in weight 2. diets do not work long term 3. everyone should eat a lot of fruits and veggies daily and exercise - and let the unrealistic goals go!

Anonymous
Copley, OH

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