|
|
PICTURES 4 PRESS: ( DOWNLOADABLE) |
PRESS RELEASE: The weight of faith BY JANE MCBRIDE, The Enterprise 02/20/2008 Updated 02/20/2008 04:47:15 PM CST
Church members who love food with the same zeal with which they love the Lord might want to try passing the plate a little more at church and a little less at the dinner table.
As spiritual-based health and fitness plans spread among the faithful, churches like Antioch Baptist Church of Beaumont are focusing on the second deadly sin with programs like Body Temple Wellness. Antioch will host the 12-week program, beginning with an orientation from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 29. Somewhere along the line, gluttony seemed to become easier to overlook than lust, greed, laziness, wrath, envy and pride. Church member LaSonia Isedore is hoping the program will help her shed 10 of the 162 pounds on her 5-foot-5-inch frame, along with old bad habits. "Everything goes back to the spirit. When you (overeat), you are not doing it because you are hungry. There could be other reasons, stress, anxiety, pressure, frustration or something missing in your life," Isedore, 38, paralegal and office manager for a Beaumont law office, said. Isedore, who will facilitate the program, said the Body Temple Wellness Program is designed "to help you understand why you eat what you eat and when." She hopes it will free those who are addicted to unhealthy practices. "God speaks about our body as a temple. It needs to be clean and decent and in order. If you become overweight it can influence the way you worship. It doesn't mean you can't worship, but it weights you down and it affects your spiritual worship." The program is geared towards African American women, said Torri Evans, marketing director for Body Temple Wellness, because more than 80 percent of African-American women 40 or older are overweight, according to a 2006 Johns Hopkins University study. It involves weekly prayer, a DVD curriculum, walking groups and accountability meetings, she said from Atlanta. "1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that you were bought with a price. Your body is to be used to honor God," Evans said. "Carrying that extra weight hinders you from fully doing the things God is calling you to do." The program, which does not include a diet or prescribed exercise, will be good for people like Isedore who are not motivated to go to a gym, Isedore said, letting each person find out what works for him or her. "You will not sit in a room and do a workout exercise. You will not be given a diet, saying cut out this and cut out that. The program urges you to exercise but you don't have a formal exercise program," Evans said. "Going to a gym is a total waste of money for me. But I can get on a track and walk and it's relaxing and calming. Some people do a workout better than walking." Both spiritual-based programs and medical-based weight loss programs begin with positive motivation, said Dr. Ezea Ede, who devotes part of his practice to weight loss. "We try to make people change habits, depending on the cause of their weight. It could be genetic or medical illness, not just overeating. If it's primarily because of overeating, we try to focus on changing their habits by education, exercise, dieting and medications," Ede, 51, of Beaumont, said. "I think we are saying the same things in a different way. People go through different emotions. Maybe they are not happy at home or are depressed. Most people want to compensate what is lacking by stressful eating. You can equate that to a spiritual sense." Acquiring a positive attitude and body images is advantageous, he said. "The only disadvantage is sometimes you have to have a backup plan," he said. "Some of us are motivated and we do it for a month, and then we give it up. You have to several ways to achieve your goal." Support is important, Ede said, whether from a family member or a church member. Isedore stressed that the Body Temple Wellness orientation is free, and money concerns should not keep people away. "There is enough information given in orientation that if you do nothing else but attend that, you will be able to maneuver through it and be successful, Isedore said. "But if you decide to go through the 12 week program, it's $12 a week. We don't want people to stay away from orientation. It's free and you can be successful." Cherie Benton, a member at Antioch who walks with Isedore several times a week, said she would like to trim her 180 pounds to 135. "I'm 5 feet 4 and the way I'm built, that wouldn't be skinny for me," the 28-year-old said. She's hoping turning her fitness program inside out will help. "Instead of having a quick diet plan, I want to change my way of living as far as spiritual eating. I think this will be a good way to do that. Instead of it working on the outside, it will help me on the inside." Benton, who said she is between jobs and has a lot of stress in her life at this time, wants to learn "more about the scriptures and God's plan for health" in her life. "I know that when I'm stressed, I eat more - more food, more sweets, ice cream, and chocolate. It helps me feel better for the moment. I want to (learn) control. To know that I am stressed and control my eating habits. If I go about it the spiritual way, I probably won't be as stressed." Updated 02/20/2008 04:47:15 PM CST
FAITH & FORKJanuary 26, 2008 Shannon Tanner and her Body Temple Wellness, a Christian-based weight-loss center in Los Angeles, is going on the road to try to convince churchgoers to shed some of those ungodly pounds. Armed with a Purdue University study showing that 65 percent of churchgoers are overweight, the “How Faith Wins at Weight Loss Tour and Church Challenge” will hold free workshops in various cities – including San Diego. Churches are being encouraged to form teams of eight to participate in a 12-week weight loss challenge. Kind of like “The Biggest Loser” for Christians. The San Diego session is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at St. Stephen's Cathedral Church of God in Christ, 5825 Imperial Ave. Web site: bodytemplewellness.com. Past Press: 01/10/08 - The Tour 01/10/08 - The Christian Wire 01/02/08 - WebWire 10/18/07 - Winston-Salem Chronicle 10/17/07 - Black Gospel Promo 10/10/07 - Black News 10/01/07 - Press Release for book 10/04/07 - Sex, Lies, & Chocolate Cake (Soul Mate Film Newsletter) Shannon's second book 09/18/07 - Black Gospel Promo 09/18/07 - The Loop Online
|
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|||
| © Copyright 2004-2007, Body Temple Wellness, All Rights Reserved | |||
Email to a friend
Post a Comment
Printer-friendly
