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I believe there is a journey we can take to end our obesity. It will take our brothers and sisters in Christ to come along side us and encourage us through this struggle. Was not the Body Of Christ that God designed meant to help us carry these burdens? We sometimes forget that the Lord made us in His image and by learning to love ourselves and, be willing to make positive changes in our lives, we then can reach out to others and teach them to reflect God's loveliness.

I truly believe there is a journey where we can learn of the life that God wants for us, and how to achieve it. I also believe that it's going to take a full understanding of what The Holy Spirit is willing to do for us. I have come to believe that it is one thing to be taught well, but another thing to have a full understanding of what we are being taught.

I believe we need to start thinking about our bodies in the light of God's Word. God's Word will guide us into His truth and it's His truth that we will be forever engraved upon our heart.

Isaiah was commissioned by God to tell the people of Israel the good news that their nation didn't have to remain in captivity to the other nations. I think Isaiah 61: 1-3 describes what God wants for all His people. Please stop and read this Scripture from your Bible, and let the words really speak to your heart

Here are my thoughts about this Scripture.

#1 God's desire is that His people will not be brokenhearted.( This includes us, the obese person )
#2. There is freedom for the captives. ( We do not have to be held captive in our obesity)
#3. There is a release from darkness for the prisoners. ( We don't have to be a prisoner of satan and held in darkness)
#4. The Lord's favor is upon us and He will comfort all who mourn. ( We will find comfort in Him with no more mourning of what could have been)
#5. He will provide for those who grieve. ( We will find all the help we need in Him )
#6. Instead of ashes, we will have a crown of beauty.
#7. Instead of mourning, we will have gladness.
#8. We will have a spirit of praise. ( Instead of a spirit of despair)
#10. We will be a display of His splendor.

I truly would like your thoughts on this.

Hello LeeAnn

God bless you this day.

I agree completely. Thank You Jesus!

I also agree with your statement: "It will take our brothers and sisters in Christ to come along side us and encourage us through this struggle."
Therefore, we need to address one another by User Name, and include Greetings and Salutations and let one another know...I hear you.

The Lord is all about deep and abiding relationships, and He relates on a personal level. God is so Good!!!

LeeAnn, thank you for posting. The Holy Spirit is so very important in this life ...in the journey. He walks and talks with us and reminds us that we are His own, as well as leads us where He would have us go.

I hope you continue to share what He imparts to your heart.

God bless and keep you,
Sister Mack

I've been a friend of a woman who struggles for several years. And have read on it and talked to others.

There is often a deep reason for the obesity. It can protect against unwanted sexual attention. A parent may have provided food instead of affection. There are reasons that it exists in the first place.

There is often an attitude of shame. The person is not the same as others. She is not allowed to have a piece of cake in public though she may eat a whole cake in private. Learning to have one piece of cake with people can be a huge ordeal.

There is an attitude of it doesn't matter anymore. Teaching that each calorie always counts is another huge task. After eating 10 candy bars, the next 20 do matter. Stop when you can stop. And forgive yourself. Don't self-punish by forcing the other 20 down your throat.

Anyway, these are things I have learned.

LeAnn -

There are cases where there is a tumor or something causing extreme cortisol production. Stress also can cause extreme cortisol production. And that can cause people to gain weight even when eating 2/3 or half of the normal amount of food. It does occur.

But in most cases, I believe a really big most, obese people do the pretend thing. I confronted an employee of mine. We had had conversations and I knew that she blamed her weight on bad eating habits. I knew hers wasn't medical. She wasn't having cake and I pulled her aside and told her that we all KNOW she eats and that I hadn't heard anything about her currently being on a diet and either she should tell me what diet she was on or she should sit down and have cake with us and quit isolating herself. We KNOW she eats.

She cried. Went to the bathroom. Washed her face and from that point on she quit that nasty isolating behavior. She ate cake WITH us.

This kind of behavior is extremely common in obese people. They DO eat. They just pretend not to eat. They are ashamed of eating. So they punish themselves in public and then in private they eat many times as much food.

I prefer another behavior I've seen - the obese person knows that he can't control himself, so he goes through the buffet line last. Double benefit for him - he isn't taking the food from other people and nobody sees how much food he is taking. Hopefully he does sit down with people and not sit down separately and further isolate himself.

Fat isolates people. Getting them unisolated is important. If my employee did have a medical condition, what I did would have been cruel. As it was, it was tough love and it had the right effect. I see her now and she is still overweight, but less so. Which means she stopped her pattern - which was to continually gain weight. I'd say she is fifty pounds lighter than when she worked for me. Instead of 100 lbs heavier.

Each person is an individual. But for many, many people - the weight is due to a reason. Weight can be a drug - same as any other addicting substance. It can be a protection against unwanted sexual advances. It can be self-punishment. OR this weird self-punishment and reward. Both in a single bite. It can be from being given food instead of affection and having developed thought patterns along that philosophy. It can be just not wanting to eat what's good for you. Basic Epicureanism - that's a Greek thing where the people worshipped Baccus I think - self fulfillment through all sorts of pleasure, with the Epicureanism being pleasuring one-self with food and drink.

So much, so much. But I really think that people with the cortisol issues are very much the minority these days because our medicine is so advanced. And if that is the problem, they should seek medical help.

Obesity, as mentionned above can have many reasons. Eating too much, a not as obvious a one as assummed because we don't know why the obese person is eating so much food. For me obesity came as a result of medications prescribed me by doctors having a side effect of weight gain. I went from a size 42 waist size to a 52 waist size. Today, many years later I'm back at a size 44 waist size. I feel so much lighter and don't huff and puff going up stairs It is so awesome. I'm still in the process of losing weight. I have a way to go. But not all obese people are that way because of excessive food consumption. There is the side effects of medications, weight gain and increaed appetite. There are those who over eat to stuff down the pain of trauma or other unpleasant life experiences in a way that is similar to some alcoholics with alcohol. But overcoming obesity is a lifestyle change. Doing things differrently and enjoying life in a more productive way. I'm starting to learn that at Overeaters Anonymous. Which in turn is why I'm here. Overeaters Anonymous believes in putting one's will and well being in the hands of G(g) od as we comprehend him. So I decided to give God another chance. Putting my trust in certain Christians not worthy of my trust was a big part of me leaving God years ago. But I need him now.....more then any church Assembly. All this to say there is a road back from obesity. But involve doctors as well as trusted Christians, Doctors are the competant ones to the degree that medicines or trauma are the reason(s) for our obesity.

I've been fasting for 5 days, then eating, and fasting for another five days. This seems to work well for me. I lose anywhere from 1/2-1lb. a day. As my wife has pointed out to me, eating a small quantity everyday would probably work just as well.