Bulging Bible Belt: Why Oklahoma Christians could benefit from a biblical diet
Oklahoma's obesity rates are higher than the national average. At least 1 in 3 people here are obese. Among African Americans in Oklahoma, the rate of obesity is 43.4%. Fueling the obesity epidemic in the U.S. is certainly fast food, sugar, high-fat high calorie, comfort foods, minimal expenditure of energy and lack of quality health education.
Oklahoma is also a part of the United States known as the Bible Belt ― “a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics.” These states also have some of the highest rates of obesity. A friend affectionately called these states the Bulging Belt due to the high rates of obesity and sickness.
Some of the state of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City-County Health Department’s recent programs are geared toward combating disease by promoting weight loss. But weight loss is not a strong enough motivator to regain health, especially since diets like the cookie diet, Atkins or Keto can be restrictive, tasteless and/or unhealthy for some, so losing weight no longer becomes an incentive for many Oklahomans. When work, life and family stressors outweigh weight loss, Oklahomans turn to comfort food rather than the gym.
So, what can help to reduce the state’s obesity rate? Lifestyle programs that are geared toward the whole person's body, mind and spirit are most helpful in reducing obesity. The cause of obesity is, of course, diet, but it is also high-stress levels, lack of sleep, nutritional deficiencies and lack of exercise, among other issues. Diet changes alone are not enough to end obesity; it must be a change of thinking. Changing the thinking about being healthy also relates to the spiritual component of solving the obesity epidemic.
As part of the Bible Belt, Oklahoma has many Protestant Christians who are obese. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Duke University, there is a correlation between church attendance and obesity among African American men. In many Christian churches, the correlation between healthy eating and biblical principles is nonexistent. The one exception is among the Seventh-day Adventist Christians whose diet plan is based on Genesis chapters 1 and 3 ― fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables. In 2011, a study conducted by Loma Linda University reported that Black members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church had a better quality of life than the average American because of their lifestyle behaviors. The Adventist Health Study 2 in 2014, showed that compared with their non-vegetarian counterparts, Black vegetarian Seventh-day Adventists have less risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, total cholesterol and high blood-LDL cholesterol.
Some of the lifestyle behaviors SDAs maintain, according to the Blue Zone study, is that they are largely vegetarian following the biblical principles of abstaining from "unclean" foods found in the book of Leviticus, along with alcohol and cigarettes. They exercise daily, observe the Sabbath, have support systems within their churches, snack on nuts, drink plenty of water, get outside in the fresh air and sunlight, and eat early, moderate dinners. They also conduct many community-health programs to assist the broader community in their health journey.
The state of Oklahoma would do well to collaborate with these kinds of dynamic programs to combat obesity and meet the community's physical, spiritual and mental health needs. Obesity is a serious epidemic in Oklahoma, but programs that are dedicated and consistent can be successful in combatting the state's bulging belt.
Laurel Mauldin is president and CEO of A Table in the Wilderness, a local Oklahoma organization whose mission is to provide healthy spiritual and physical foods to those who need it. The organization conducts Bible-based, scientifically proven health education programs, cooking classes and grocery store tours to promote healthy living in Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guest: Why Oklahoma Christians could benefit from a biblical diet
