Bad Eating Habits 

I confess — sometimes I eat too much. The Bible calls that gluttony, and gluttony is a sin. It is a sin, like all sins, that believers must take seriously, confess and turn from. 

Many of us struggle with overeating. I feel like I was born hungry and never really got full. 

Years ago, I had reached a weight that was unhealthy for me. Over time, by God’s grace, I was able to lose the extra weight. My weight loss was noticeable, and people would ask what I did to drop pounds. My answer: confession and repentance. I confessed the sin of overeating — and with God’s help turned from it. That answer always received interesting responses, but it was true.  

The struggle with food, however, continues to this day. In a recent conversation with a pastor friend, I asked about his food weakness. He said that his problem is that he just eats too much. I agreed that self-control is often an issue for me too — except when it comes to steamed broccoli. I like steamed broccoli just fine, but eating too much of it never seems to be a problem.   

I have noticed there are certain times when I am more prone to overeat. Many bad eating habits have a mental or emotional connection to them. Your struggles may not be the same as mine, but here are five bad eating habits I have experienced in my battle for self-control over food.  

1. Stress eating: This may happen when I am working on a complicated project and cannot see the solution. The temptation is to get up from my desk and go find a snack. I am better off when I choose instead to take a short walk and come back to the task when my head is clearer.  

2. Fatigue eating: Sometimes my work has me on the road late at night. It is not uncommon to drive three or more hours, do ministry and then drive the same three or more hours home. I am always hungry on the drive home. But instead of stopping at the convenience store and having a candy bar and soda, I am better off with some fruit or nuts and a bottle of water.   

3. Celebratory eating: I grew up in a wonderful home with lots of relatives nearby. Every celebration in our home involved food, and there is nothing wrong with that practice. The problem comes when I find more and more reasons to celebrate, and food is involved with each one. I am better off when I plan for these gatherings and watch carefully my portions of tasty food.  

4. Hunger eating: Hunger eating is the worst because I make bad food choices when I am hungry. When my appetite is raging, I may give in to a bag of potato chips bag or whatever tasty treat I can find in our pantry. I am better off drinking a large glass of water and maybe have something light to satisfy my immediate appetite before the meal.  

5. Reward eating: Reward eating is like celebratory eating — the difference being that I reward myself for any recent success. I may reward myself for finishing a project, taking a bike ride or even eating well for a week — which seems kind of counterintuitive. Those rewards always involve food and not always the healthiest choices. There are other ways to reward oneself besides food. Sometimes just sharing your success with a friend may be more satisfying.  

I once heard a friend say, “Food is for fuel, not for fellowship.” That statement is a great reminder that we need food to survive, but it is not the friend we turn to during either hard times or good times. 

Please do not hear any judgment in this article. That is not my intention. Please hear me addressing a struggle that is real for many of us who love Jesus and want to honor Him with each area of our life.  

If overeating is a struggle, the best thing we can do is to be honest about our challenge to eat appropriate amounts of good food and ask God to help us exercise self-control.  

He hears the prayers of His children, and He will help us experience victory.