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It Is Written

John Bradshaw

Overcoming Obesity

Coming up next, please stay tuned for It Is Written, presented by Pastor John Bradshaw.

You don't have to go too terribly far, read too many web pages or open too many newspapers to discover that health care is a major issue in these United States and all around the world.

Major health care challenges are affecting millions and millions of people today.

And remarkably, there are often some very simple things that you can do to minimize your risk or to get out from under that health burden.

The Bible is a book that encourages us to take our health seriously.

The Bible tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came into this world to give us life more abundantly.

Back in the Old Testament, God said, I am the Lord who healeth thee.

Well, we're going to talk about a health subject that relates to just about all of us.

David DeRose from Compass Health Consulting.

This is not our first discussion together, but this is the first time we've discussed here the subject of obesity.

Some three-quarters of Americans and many people throughout the world impacted by this disorder.

And what's interesting to me though, John, we throw out this figure three-quarters.

I mean, that's not just obesity, medically speaking.

But the problem is something that is getting so much attention because it's affecting our youth.

Something like 1 in 5 youth now meeting the definitions for being significantly overweight.

So there's overweight and there's obesity.

Well, you know, we use numbers based on body mass index, which is based on kilograms per meter squared.

And a lot of people, their eyes kind of glaze over.

But the simple point I like to make to people, John, is this.

We're speaking from a biblical perspective.

The first thing I like people to know is, you know what?

Jesus is not saying, once you lose enough weight, then you're good enough to come to me.

He says, whosoever will, take of the water of life freely.

And so that encourages me as we're coming from a biblical perspective.

Now, we're going to have to talk about some pretty obvious things.

If someone is obese, what they can do about it.

But let's talk about some of the causes for obesity.

Perhaps they're obvious, but let's walk through some of them anyway.

Well, let's talk about the ones that often don't come onto the radar screen.

First of all, there are early life history factors that affect our weight.

Some people in the womb were exposed to stresses that predisposed them to high blood pressure or to diabetes or to obesity.

Maybe in early life, 1, 2 years of age, your feeding practices, not of your own choosing, were such that it primed you with more fat cells so it's easier for you to be obese.

There are actually metabolic hormonal causes.

1 of the classic ones is Cushing's disorder, or Cushing's disease, or Cushing's syndrome that actually can cause you to put on excess weight even if you're doing everything right.

And so here at the very beginning, I want to tell people you can't just look at someone and say, oh, You didn't listen to It Is Written, you didn't listen to Dr.

DeRose and John Bradshaw, otherwise you wouldn't have this problem.

We're going to do our best to talk about this respectfully in a non-judgmental way.

I think, I hope, we're going to talk about this redemptively.

We don't need to point the figure and be critical, but we do want to help people who want to be helped or help themselves or receive the help that comes from God.

The premise I take, John, is that in the very beginning, when God created us, he knew what kind of environment, what kind of setting we needed to be in to live for eternity.

So although we're not gonna live eternally on our own devices, God still, in the very beginning, gives us clues about what the ideal diet, what the ideal activity level, other elements in lifestyle that can actually help us to avoid obesity, at least to a large extent.

Well, you mentioned a moment ago the challenge that we're seeing with kids who are overweight.

I mean, there's studies showing that the more time we spend in front of a television, I hate to say it, but even It Is Written.

If someone is just watching It Is Written nonstop, The research actually suggests it's not just sitting in front of the TV and not doing activity that's a problem, but it's also the commercials and the other messages.

So it is written gets the green light on that basis.

But We're spending far too much time doing inactive activities.

Our kids are being pulled away from physical activity, and that's a huge determinant of how much we weigh.

I didn't write the study, but I have a hunch that everybody's connected to the internet, everybody has a device, there's so much you can do online, you can explore the world, connect with people, play games, veg out.

Before to get your entertainment you had to run outside and play with your friends, now you can sit in front of a screen.

It just is true, and it is something that is contributing to the obesity epidemic.

It's parents telling their kids, here are some limits on the television, on the electronic devices, and helping to do activity with them.

There's nothing as powerful as what a parent models in his or her life.

Okay, so now that we're adults, What can we do to begin to turn this back?

Let's just start scratching the surface and come back to this in a moment.

And I say it's simple because I've seen my own patients do it.

I've got a patient in my practice right now.

Lost 60 pounds over the course of probably 6 months.

He got rid of the sugar sweetened beverages and he's drinking primarily water.

I have a friend, I can tell you this, who lost 130 pounds.

And I asked him the same question, what did you do?

He said, I used to carry soda with me everywhere I went.

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Overcoming Obesity

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