God has a plan…
and it has everything to do with your weight.
I was reading the news and came across a piece on diets. Diet fads come and go with escalating velocity as people come to realize eating properly and getting at least some exercise tends to burn off more excess fat than simply following the latest Captain Crunch with soy milk diminution cult.
It seems that some religious groups (particularly Christians in the overweight U.S.) have decided that “eating like Jesus” is the answer to all of our overweight woes. How it took two thousand years to arrive at this astounding (re: idiotic) insight is beyond me. The new (since the eighties) diets are being called the “Jesus Diets” by Mail Online, surely with tongue pressed firmly in cheek.
The premise isn’t horrifying. The application needs some work.
The first to arrive on the scene was Weigh Down Diet launched in Tennessee, USA (umm… yeah) in the eighties by Christian fundamentalist and nutritionist Gwen Shamblin. Gwen has developed a program that incorporates weight loss with an underlying message that God will be pissed off if you don’t reduce your weight. I’m guessing if larger people want to go to heaven there is an inordinate construction cost to widen the Pearly Gates. God doesn’t want the expense, I suppose. Is that what’s pissing him off? I doubt it.
Gwen Shamblin and others in the Christian Diet Industry (it’s still about making money) truly believe they are being a help. Unfortunately, their programs inform us that you can eat anything, not exercise, lose weight and God will be happy.
Uh huh. Has anyone considered what Jesus actually ate? The last time I checked, Ho Ho’s, Twinkies and all you can eat Buffalo Chicken Wings weren’t on the menu. My guess is that nuts, dates, grains, fruit and the occasional goat hind-quarter would be more realistic.
“What would Jesus eat”, indeed.
Back to the Weigh Down Diet. Gwen Shamblin, who is a nutritionist, is quoted, “God created the wonderful flavours of blue cheese dressing, pepperoni pizza and chocolate brownies (actually, man created those concoctions, Gwen). He wants us to enjoy them – within His boundaries!” (Just exactly what are the boundaries?)
The real issue is, as a nutritionist, she should know better. Deserts aren’t natural and, while the ingredients are natural, it in no way means the combinations aren’t lethal. Arsenic, coal and dog shit are natural too. You don’t see me mowing through a plate of any of those. While she is correct that food in moderation is not a bad thing, she should know that sugars, the high fat content in pepperoni and blue cheese and other “sinful” foods should be avoided all together when maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
There are obvious issues with the program. For an opposing view, see Weigh Down Diet: No Way to Health.
The major issue I take with the program is it isn’t as healthy as they claim. It’s simply about reducing weight without regard to the health of the money source… err… clients. Presumably people are healthier if they reduce their weight and in many respects it’s true. However, there are plenty of people who are thin and unhealthy.
Playing the “getting thin means God loves you” card is interesting. It all seems a bit segregationist to me. Of course, those who don’t believe in God are excluded from the fraternities and sororities anyway.
I wonder if Jesus would drink Guinness for breakfast? Maybe not. Oh well… off to hell I go.
…wow. I’m STILL speechless.
I wonder how many people are on this diet. {{shaking head}}