round white ceramic plate filled with waffle

Is it a Sin to Overeat?

If there’s one thing that’s getting bigger, better, and always talked about in today’s society, it’s food! As the years have gone by, food has been hyped up in different ways, portion sizes are huge, more and more restaurants and food chains are open 24/7, and recipes, videos and blogs about food are always accessible anywhere anytime.

Let’s face it, we all love food! Food is good, it’s delicious, enjoyable, and pleasurable. But sometimes with the amount of food accessible around us, we tend to eat mindlessly causing us to overeat. Is overeating a sin? Well, let’s find out!

What is Overeating?

Overeating by definition is the act of eating too much. From a scientific point of view, it’s also consuming more calories than your body utilizes for energy.

Overeating can happen in many different situations like, during gatherings or a party where there’s a lot of food around you, and you are not mindful of what you eat, or during the holidays when you get seconds or thirds because of the excitement of the festive food prepared.

Overeating can also happen during times of heightened emotion, whether you are sad or happy the act of overeating can be present. Humans are all prone to overeating, it’s something that we can be faced with on a regular day in our lives, and that’s why it’s important to know how to deal with this behavior.

What is Gluttony

Gluttony by definition is the constant greed and excess in eating. Gluttony can be in the form of over-indulgence in the consumption of drinks and food, as well as power, wealth, and materialism. Gluttony is intemperate eating, it has no bounds or control, and most people who are committing this sin allow food to take over their lives. It is also one of the 7 deadly sins. However, it is very important to remember that, Gluttony is a conscious act, it is different when you are facing a medical condition like an eating disorder.

Are Overeating and Gluttony the Same?

Yes, and no. You can overeat once because of a particular circumstance in your life, but gluttony is something habitual and recurring. However, it is the act of continuously overeating that explains gluttony, so in that sense, you can see that there’s a similarity.

Is Overeating a Sin?

Yes, and no. Overeating can be sinful if we do it multiple times, and when it is slipping into gluttony. But there are times that overeating can not pass as a sin if there’s a valid reason behind it, like for example, you eat a big breakfast because you know due to your work schedule your next meal will be dinner. Technically you are overeating during breakfast time, but there is a reason to it, it’s not something that you choose to do out of pleasure.

Is Enjoying Food a Sin?

Food has two different effects on our bodies, the primary thing is it nourishes us and provides us the vitamins and minerals that we need in order for us to function and live. The second thing it provides is emotion. These emotions may be, sadness or repulsiveness (if you do not like the food) or it can surely bring us happiness and pleasure. Food is something enjoyable, most people really enjoy eating and trying out different flavors, textures, and smells; and that’s totally okay. It’s important to remember that God made food good, He made it something to be enjoyed, therefore, enjoying food is not a sin.

How do I Cure Overeating?

Overeating is an act of immoderation, and the best virtue that helps with the rehabilitation of this act is the virtue of Temperance. The virtue of temperance will help us moderate our desires for excessive pleasure and helps provide balance in the use of material things. Developing temperance takes time and practice. You can always ask the guidance of Jesus and Our Blessed Mother as you go through your journey in developing this virtue.

Different Sins

We hope we were able to answer your question in this post. If you’re seeking to know more about sins and how you can stay away from them or reconcile yourself with God, we recommend for you to check out our posts on the seven deadly sins, is anger a sin, is manifesting a sin, and how to go to confession.

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