I've just written my second campaign for a Christian organization that's working to end world hunger. Actually, it wasn't my campaign. It is God's campaign and I was blessed to be chosen to write it.
In researching for this work, I came across some disturbing information. I don't even listen anymore when I hear the news that Americans are fat. A trip to Wal-Mart will confirm that report. What I didn't know is that the weight-loss industry brings in $40 billion dollars a year. Think of how many people that could feed!
And I also didn't know that every day 24,000 people in the world die of hunger-related causes. Or that every year 300,000-400,000 Americans die of obesity related causes.
Do you find this as disturbing as I do? Too bad we can't do a Great Fat Transfer. We weigh in and send the excess to Somalia.
Gluttony used to be one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Now it's the virtue of the covered dish supper.
Do you remember the movie "Black Hawk Down"? One of the most disturbing things about that movie to me is that the Americans called the people who were attacking us "The Skinnies." And they were. (This is not to say I wasn't disturbed by the rest of the movie -- I was. It was the language I found haunting.) I don't think the world should be divided into Skinnies and Fatties. But it is.
In our culture, fat people know they are fat, invisible and given lower status. I don't want to beat up on fat people, in part because I have a sweet tooth that's working against me and struggle with my weight, going up and down and up and down and mostly up again.
And I hate showy, one-shot spectacles designed to "raise awareness." You know. You have a church supper where you pay to eat gruel and the money goes to a shelter. These are dangerous because they make you think you did something, when you didn't really. Yet you feel good about yourself and are relieved of anxiety and guilt. "I ate gruel one time so all the babies in India would be fed." No you didn't.
As the Republican that I am, I think part of the problem is that the government has taken our money from us and told us that they are using it to feed the hungry and take care of the poor. (And after tax day, I must say that they've got to be feeding an awful lot of people for that amount.) We're relieved of responsibility to care for others without being given the gift of choosing to do it ourselves -- and feeling good about it. Others aren't personally responsible for themselves, and we're not responsible for them -- the government is. (And why is it that the less money you have, the heavier you are in America?)
And I also know that wars and repressive governments in poor countries starve their own people. That doesn't get us off the hook for helping starving people in other countries (or the war-torn countries, though that can't be fixed just by sending over food. All I'm talking about here is sending over food.)
I wonder if it isn't time for churches to develop comprehensive programs to help their members lose weight, get healthier and use the money not spent on unhealthy foods to feed The Skinnies elsewhere in the world? Here's an idea: a group within the church decides that they want to eat healthy food and save money. So they form a group that buys food in bulk, the members take turns cooking it in large quantities (but healthy portions) and group members get healthy meals every night of the week but only have to cook once. The savings from buying in bulk go to a hunger program. Over time the group loses weight, gets healthier -- and some Skinnies get fed, too. (In fact, while they're cooking they could cook healthy meals for the poor Fatties in the community.)
I can see all the reasons this won't work. People are busy. Johnny has a basketball game and I can't cook tonight or pick up the meal. Little Amanda won't eat food with specks (in this case, thyme) in it. Who thought it was a good idea to cook 40 lbs. of beets?
But something needs to work. Surely we can think of something. BooMama is on the same wavelength, because she just returned from Africa, and she's got an interesting post that's led to the "adoption" of orphans for a year. To read it, go here.
We can do something. We're killing ourselves. And they're dying.
Photo from here.
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