How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) (38 page)
(R
OMANS
13:10; 14:21; 1 T
IMOTHY
5:8; P
HILIPPIANS
2:3-4).
12.
Gambling Problem:
Gambling displaces God as our priority and provider, our source of peace and purpose. It replaces the One who is our all-in-all with an empty pursuit of empty pockets and empty lives.
Godly Principle: Love God
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself’…Love the L
ORD
your God, listen to his voice, and
hold fast to him. For the L
ORD
is your life…Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life
is now hidden with Christ in God…You are not your own; you
were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body”
(M
ATTHEW
22:37-39; D
EUTERONOMY
30:20;
C
OLOSSIANS
3:2-3; 1 C
ORINTHIANS
6:19-20).
G
UARANTEED
!
Everyone wants success in life…a sure foundation…to come out ahead. There’s an old time-tested saying: “The only sure way for a gambler to come out ahead is to buy the casino!”
—J
UNE
H
UNT
In stark contrast, the Bible affirms that God Himself is our sure foundation:
“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the L
ORD
is the key to this treasure”
(I
SAIAH
33:6).
Freedom from Food Fixation
D. What Is Night Eating Disorder?
II. C
HARACTERISTICS OF
O
VEREATING
A. What Is the Compulsive Overeater Checklist?
B. What Are the Characteristics of Compulsive Overeating?
C. What Are the Basic Characteristics of Binge Eating?
D. What Elements Characterize Emotional Overeating?
A. What Are the Situational Setups for Overeating?
B. What Fakes, Fads, and “Fast Fixes” Can Lead to Defeat?
C. How to Identify and Satisfy Your Unmet Inner Needs
D. What Is the Root Cause of Overeating?
B. Key Passage to Read and Reread
C. How to Decipher the Do’s and Don’ts of Wise Weight Loss
E. How to Benefit from the Best Beverages
F. How to Find the Healthiest Foods
G. How to Grab Good Food on the Go
H. How to Tailor Multiple Treatment Strategies for Binge Eating
I. How to Customize Self-care to Help Conquer Bingeing
THE WORLD OF OVEREATING:Freedom from Food Fixation
Television commercials can be tantalizing—and at the same time, reflect what we wish weren’t true. One long-running ad featured a bag of potato chips with the tagline, “Bet you can’t eat just one.”
This fascinating commercial featured different people who, after tasting one chip, were prevented from having another. Oh, oh, oh, the agony! First, they would fidget and sweat. Then they would leap over obstacles, tackling grocers to get to the chips. Finally, when they got their hands on those tasty tidbits…oh, the ecstasy of finishing off the whole bag!
We all share one common characteristic: When we find something we especially like, we want more of it! But if our common desire becomes a compulsive demand—if our natural drive to eat becomes a relentless slave driver—then we are out of control. The fact that our God-given appetite can turn into an all-consuming fixation is an example of this principle:
“A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him”
(2 P
ETER
2:19).
EFINITIONS OF
O
VEREATING
The potato chip commercials were memorable for the clever way they showed people losing self-control—specifically, losing all sense of
portion size
. They always ate the whole bag! For those caught in the cycle of compulsive eating, the craving is for quantity, not quality. Consider ice cream: If one scoop is good, two would be better. And if two are better, three are best! (Or why not the whole carton?)
This same compulsive mind-set applies to cake and candy…fondue and frosting…bacon, biscuits, and brownies…in spite of the common-sense caution that says,
“It is not good to eat too much honey”
(P
ROVERBS
25:27).
It all began in the 1980s.
The collective waistlines of people throughout the world began to spread at an unprecedented pace. Literally millions of people packed on millions of extra pounds because of food saturated in fat, sugar, and salt—food that drove them to eat even more fat, sugar, and salt. Increasingly, country after country became inundated with compulsive overeaters.
Along with poor food choices, other factors contributed to this worldwide weight gain, including the exploding availability of fast food, larger menu portions, and eating on the go rather than at a leisurely pace around the dining table at home.
1
No wonder weight gain has spiraled out of control. We are controlled by the fruit of overeating instead of the fruit of the Spirit. The Bible explains it this way:
“The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control”
(G
ALATIANS
5:22-23).
•
Overeating
means excessive eating.
2
•
Overeating
often results in obesity, a condition characterized by body fat 20 percent or more above recommended body weight.
3
•
Overeating,
in Scripture, is described by the word
gluttony
, which means consuming excess food to the point of losing control. The Bible states,
“He who keeps the law is a discerning son
,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father”
(P
ROVERBS
28:7).
Overeating and SinQ
UESTION:
“Can overeating be considered a sin?”
A
NSWER:
Yes, overeating is a pattern of yielding to fleshly desires instead of yielding to God. Those who habitually eat to excess are controlled by their natural appetites rather than controlled by the Spirit of God. The Bible contrasts the wise man with the foolish man:
“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil
,
but a foolish man devours all he has”
(P
ROVERBS
21:20).
The fanaticism for fatty foods in the 1980s didn’t just tip the scales—it set new world records. Manuel Uribe went on a saturated fat and sugar spree and earned a title that landed him in the
Guinness Book of World Records
as the “World’s Fattest Man.”
4
At 1230 pounds, Manuel was the embodiment of compulsive eating—a man
completely out of control
.
Compulsive eating triggered another catastrophic consequence for Manuel. He turned to liposuction to improve his appearance, but his damaged lymph nodes left giant tumors on his legs—so weighty that he couldn’t walk. Manuel readily pointed to one source for his sorrows: “It is all because of the junk food.”
5
Eventually Manuel became determined to no longer be the world’s heaviest man. With serious dietary changes, he dropped his weight to around 700 pounds, and then set his sights on a new title: “World’s Greatest Loser of Weight.” What a change of focus!
Those like Manuel who need serious help controlling their compulsive eating can find invaluable strength from our powerful God:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”
(I
SAIAH
40:29).
•
Compulsive eating
is uncontrolled overeating based on satisfying emotional hunger, not physical hunger.
•
Compulsive eating
is a seemingly irresistible impulse to eat.
6
•
Compulsive eating
is a food addiction that can result in a physical disorder and even death.
“He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly”
(P
ROVERBS
5:23).
Overeating and AddictionsQ
UESTION:
“Spiritually, is there a difference between a food addiction and other addictions such as smoking, gambling, or drinking?”
A
NSWER:
No, the Bible places them in the same category, although the physical ramifications can be more serious with certain addictions. The biblical book on wisdom states,
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge
themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons
become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags”
(P
ROVERBS
23:20-21).
“It’s like having a pair of arms around you.”
7
That’s how Diana, Princess of Wales, described the comfort she felt after consuming large amounts of food. Before dying in a car crash in 1997, Princess Diana struggled for years with bulimia and knew how quickly those “comforting arms” could constrict.
Although she was considered the most popular woman in the world, it was not unusual for Princess Diana to binge up to five times a day, gorging herself with food, and then purging. While this futile cycle consumed her life, her lack of self-control turned to self-loathing. At times, she surely could have identified with Job:
“I despise my life; I would not live forever
.
Let me alone; my days have no meaning”
(J
OB
7:16).
•
Bingeing
is a period of unrestrained indulgence and most often refers to binge eating and drinking, but can also refer to binge shopping and gambling.
8
•
Binge eating
can easily become an addictive behavior.
–
Binge eaters who
don’t purge typically experience great weight gain.
–
Binge eaters
who do purge through vomiting or excessive laxative use are
bulimics
, who often experience severe health hazards, including death.
•
Bingeing,
in the Bible, comes with a warning against overindulgence.
“If you find honey, eat just enough
—
too much of it, and you will vomit”
(P
ROVERBS
25:16).
In addition to binge eating, Princess Diana suffered from bulimia. Oh, that Princess Diana would have turned to the Lord’s “everlasting arms,” which would have forever embraced her in unconditional love, as described in the Bible:
“The eternal God is your refuge
,
and underneath are the everlasting arms”
(D
EUTERONOMY
33:27) .
Overeating vs. BulimiaQ
UESTION:
“What’s the difference between overeating and bulimia?”
A
NSWER:
While both eat food to excess, an overeater may have little concern about being overweight, while the bulimic is consumed with body image and self-loathing.
Just as Job began to despise himself, bulimics despise their bodies and are frequently filled with bitterness.
“I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my
complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul”
(J
OB
10:1).
The clock strikes 8:00 p.m., and the feeding frenzy begins.
Multitudes of people around the globe, including six million Americans, struggle with Night Eating Disorder. Strugglers find themselves agitated, restless, bored—and before they know it, they’ve consumed massive amounts of high-carb, high-calorie “comfort food.” And for many, when the clock strikes midnight, they’re back at it again, raiding the refrigerator into the wee hours of the morning, craving their comfort food to fill the hole in their hearts. At times we all need comfort, but when no one is near to provide comfort, some people look to food to be that friend. However, God never intended for food to fill our hearts. We need the blessing of need-meeting friends. But when that relationship void remains empty, we can find ourselves lamenting,
“This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears
.
No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit”
(L
AMENTATIONS
1:16).
•
Night Eating Disorder
(Night Eating Syndrome) is a condition characterized by huge caloric intake during the after-dinner hours.
•
Night Eating Syndrome
(NES) is a disorder that affects more than 33 percent of “morbidly obese” people—those 100 pounds or more overweight.
9
•
Night Eating Syndrome
often involves insomnia, since feelings of guilt, anxiety, and disgust can also hinder sleep.
But what is one step in the recovery process? Rather than focusing at night on gorging, the Psalms speak of meditating on the promises of God.
“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night
,
that I may meditate on your promises”
(P
SALM
119:148).
HARACTERISTICS OF
O
VEREATING
It’s considered a world health epidemic, and it can’t be treated with a shot or quick-fix medication. Across the globe there are more than one billion adults who are overweight, creating a health hazard that ranks just behind HIV and tuberculosis.
10
The increased risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and stroke that accompany overeating are weighing down already heavily burdened health care systems.
And the statistics for children are equally alarming. An estimated 22 million children under the age of 5 are overweight, and in the United States alone the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980.
11
With global modernization and urbanization comes easier access to foods chock full of saturated fats and sugar, and it seems people from Chile to China are increasingly choosing greasy cheeseburgers over grilled chicken. As waistlines expand, societies all over the world are feeling the financial pinch from sprawling health care costs. The Bible warns,
“A man reaps what he sows”
(G
ALATIANS
6:7).
Stuck in His Self-made Prison
His nickname was Crassus, and not because he was crass.
Crassus
is a Latin word for
fat
, and Raynald
12
III was more than abundantly fat. Grossly overweight, the Duke of Guelders had developed quite the reputation for his regal rolls of flesh, and not even this not-so-nice nickname motivated him to curb his eating.
Eventually, Raynald found it necessary to turn his attention from feasting to fighting—laying down his fork and knife and picking up his sword and shield—because his dukedom was being ripped apart by civil war.
In what is now Belgium, two clans were vying for power—the Hekeren (the aristocrats) and the Bronckorsten (the merchants)—and they would stop at nothing to rule over the coveted dukedom. Raynald was doing all he could to quash the uprising, but his conspiring younger brother, Edward, pulled a power play. Resentful that his older brother had received the dukedom and a greater inheritance, Edward became the leader of the Bronckorsten clan and proclaimed that he was the new duke of Guelders. Raynald attempted to keep the peace, but was eventually forced to side with the Hekeren clan, setting the stage for a showdown.
13
On May 25, 1361, in the midst of battle, Edward captured Raynald. He then constructed, within the castle walls, a prison for his obese brother. However, this was a most unique prison, for it had normal-sized windows and a door, none of which were ever locked. Edward even told Raynald he would reinstate his royal title and property as soon as he left the prison. But in order to walk out, Raynald’s much larger body had to be able to go through the much smaller door.
14
Then clever, conniving Edward twisted the knife even more. He ordered that large, delicious meals be delivered every day to Raynald in his “prison” so that ultimately, food would be his ball and chain.
Once, when accused of being cruel and heartless toward Raynald, Edward matter-of-factly replied, “My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”
15
Ten years later, Raynald was finally rescued—but only after Edward died amongst other warring dukes. And when the double-wide former duke was freed from his castle confinement,
he was fatter than ever
—and still in bondage to his enormous appetite. Gluttony had a stranglehold on Raynald, and he died within a year of his release.
Raynald embodies the truth found in Ecclesiastes 6:7: “All man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.” As was the case with Raynald, we can become consumed with filling our inner hunger, but then quickly discover that the filling is ever so fleeting.
A. What Is the Compulsive Overeater Checklist?When Jesus describes Himself as the Bread of Life, He is identifying Himself as the source of lasting spiritual sustenance. We can never find true satisfaction through food, but we can discover lasting fulfillment through the Bread of Life—Jesus Christ. Through a life-changing relationship with Him, He promises we will “never go hungry.”
16
Many people sincerely ask a question to which the answer seems obvious to others: “How do I know whether or not I am a compulsive overeater?” The best way to determine the answer is to go through the following checklist. If you find that food has control over you, seek God’s strength to help you shift your focus, and “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
Place a check mark (
) beside each question that applies to you:
17
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about food?
Do you look forward to an event because of the food that will be available there?
Do you eat when you are sad, angry, lonely, or depressed?
Do you eat when you are bored or under stress?
Do you eat certain foods as a personal reward?