Trivia Junction

A Compendium of trivia I find interesting
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Religion Makes You Fat

Religious shepherds need to push their flocks nearer to God and farther from the refrigerator, according to a Purdue University sociologist who has been studying the relationship between body weight and religion since the mid-1980s.

Ken Ferraro analyzed the religious practices and body-mass index of more than 2,500 people between the years 1986 and 1994. He found that people who consistently used religious media resources – television, books, radio – were 14 percent more likely to become obese than those who did not.

Churches were to blame as well, said Ferraro, noting that many religious activities emphasize and encourage overeating, such as church picnics featuring high-fat foods in abundance.

“Most religions encourage restraint from participating in injurious behaviors, such as heavy drinking or smoking,” Ferraro said. “Overeating is not considered a great sin. It has become an accepted vice.”

Amen to exercise

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