anorexia. [192]

unfortunately, there are a lot of taboo subjects in the Church. it's a human flaw. to be in a place of supposed perfection and not feel able to share your flaws so that they may be perfected.
one in particular is eating disorders.
everyone always thought i had an eating disorder. for obvious reasons. i never did. and i never remember anyone in my Church talking to me about it.
the struggle with food and body image is widespread. one out of three American adults is obese. one in five women struggle with an eating disorder. these numbers shouldn't be ignored. but the silence from the Church is deafening. Church is not always grace-filled. it can focus solely on actions and perfectionism.
even though eating disorders are prevalent today and gluttony is mentioned in the Bible, the Church hasn't focused on them in a transforming way. not many Churches address gluttony. the Church has various reasons for neglecting eating disorders. weight and body issues are at the bottom of outreach lists.
people need to learn how God sees them and how He loves them. it's a freeing step.
recovery from eating disorders must be experienced on two levels. freedom from the behavior and freedom from the lies. it means turning to God. believing the truth of their value as God's child, how He loves them and cherishes them for who they are.
Churches often times focus on symptoms and not the disease. Jesus wants to go to those places and heal them. His abundant life means complete freedom and healing.