Firm Believers? Religion, Body Weight, and Well-Being
Most religions have proscriptions or prescriptions regarding the consumption of food; yet little attention has been given to the relationship between religion and body weight. This paper explores two major questions: (1) Is religion related to body weight, especially the prevalence of obesity? (2) D...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
1998
|
| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1998, Volume: 39, Issue: 3, Pages: 224-244 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
|
| Summary: | Most religions have proscriptions or prescriptions regarding the consumption of food; yet little attention has been given to the relationship between religion and body weight. This paper explores two major questions: (1) Is religion related to body weight, especially the prevalence of obesity? (2) Does religion intensify, mitigate, or counterbalance the effects of body weight on well-being? Two data sources are used in this exploratory study. First, state-level ecological data on religion and body weight show that body weight is somewhat higher in states with a higher proportion of church and temple members. Second, a national sample of adults surveyed in 1986 is used for the bulk of the analysis (N=3,497). Three dimensions of religiosity (practice, identity, and comfort) and three measures of body weight (underweight, overweight, and overall body mass) are examined. Religious practice is associated with all measures of well-being and generally acts to counterbalance the negative effect of body weight on well-being. Obese persons are more likely to be depressed and have lower levels of health satisfaction despite their higher levels of religious practice. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512590 |