FIRM BELIEVERS - RELIGION, BODY-WEIGHT, AND WELL-BEING

Most religions have proscriptions of prescriptions regarding the consu mption of food; yet little attention has been given to the relationshi p between religion and body weight. This paper explores two major ques tions: (1) Is religion related to body weight, especially the prevalen ce of obesity? (2) Does religion intensify, mitigate, or counterbalanc e the effects of body weight on well-being? Two data sources are used in this exploratory study. First, state-level ecological data on relig ion and body weight show that body weight is somewhat higher in states with a higher proportion of church and temple members. Second a natio nal sample of adults surveyed in 1986 is used for the bulk of the anal ysis is (N=3,497). Three dimensions of religiosity (practice, identity , and comfort) and three measures of body weight (underweight, overwei ght, and overall body mass) are examined. Religious practice is associ ated with all measures of well-being and generally acts to counterbala nce the negative effect of body weight on well-being. Obese persons ar e more likely to be depressed and have lower levels of health satisfac tion despite their higher levels of religious practice.