Lots of religions are against drinking, but the Mormons go further – you’re not supposed to use any psychoactive substances of any kind – tobacco, caffeine, etc. All things doctors tell us are bad for us. Are there any studies showing observant Mormons are healthier than the average?
No cite, but I recall reading that they do, in fact, live longer. My question is: If giving up drinking makes you live longer, why would you want to?
I’ve seen multiple statistics in various magaznes showing mormon boi’s are cuter does that count?
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An observant LDS doesn’t smoke, drink coffee or tea, or use illegal drugs. If they’re really strict with the WOW they’d lay off the red meat, too. That sounds like they’d be exceptionally healthy.
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On the other hand, my LDS office-mate of many years used to have a can of soda and two vending machine chocolate-cream pies for lunch everyday. This is wholly consistent with the WOW*, but not exactly healthy in anybody’s book.
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On the Gripping Hand, he stayed extremely tall and thin despite this diet fregimen. Maybe God really does favor the LDS with good metabolism.
I never paid attention to LDS boys, but ()despite all the BYU co-ed jokes about fat females) I’ve found LDS girls and women to be generally extremely good-looking. It’s enough to make you convert.
- although you could make the argument that chocolate, containing caffeine, is implicitly forbidden, or at least frowned upon.
I thought Salt Lake City had the most overweight people in the US per capita (or one of the top five cities anyhow), and since it’s predominantly occupied by mormons, I’m kind of at a loss here… sure, they might not indulge themselves with certain vices that we take for granted, but they sure aren’t easing back on the fatty foods…
Unfortunately I don’t have a quote to back all this speculation, but perhaps there is somebody else that has also heard of this.
I haven’t seen any statistics, and I haven’t been there for years, but my impression when I lived in SLC was that it was not a city of heavy people. I’ve known fat Mormons, but they weren’t in the majority, by any means. I’ve been in many cities that felt “fatter”.
Of course, it’s been a while. Things mighta changed.
The annual Men’s Health survey has Salt Lake City neither in the 25 fittest nor 25 fattest cities, FWIW.
Oh, ok, my bad. But it’s definitely something that I’ve once heard and I don’t really know why it stuck.
This is no reflection on the mainline LDS church but I just read an article in the Phoenix New Times about genetic abnormalities that are reaching staggering proportions in the communities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hilldale Utah. These people are part of a breakaway sect called the Fundimentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or FLDS. The sect practices polygamy and all marriages are arranged by prophet Warren Jeffs, in virtually all cases between members of the small community.
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2005-12-29/news/feature.html
“WOW”?
Hmmm . . .
I’ve been wondering, lately, whether the dangers of inbreeding are exaggerated or not – considering how common a practice first-cousin marriage is in many cultures. Might be worth a separate GQ thread . . .
The Word of Wisdom – the revelation that proscribes “hot drink” (now interpreted to mean caffeinated beverages, including colas), smoking (and tobacco in al its forms, IIRC), and indulgence in red meats, among other things.
The “official” interpretation of “hot drinks” is to include coffee and tea. The church has not taken an official stand on cola drinks or other beverages with caffein.
Many LDS members choose to abstain from caffeinated drinks, but this falls under the “wisdom” part of the Word of Wisdom, and is not required in the sense that abstinence from alcohol and tobacco are required.
FYI, started a separate GQ thread on inbreeding: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=352186
Someday America will legalize hard drugs and incest . . . but only when indulged in simultaneously! 
It’s somewhat stronger than that, from what I understand. Renunciation of Cola was pretty heavily urged, so that it was virtually seen as an extension of the WoW. My officemate never drank it, nor any of our cquaintences from the local Ward. When I moved out to Utah, BYU didn’t even have Coke machines on campus. Until they brought out decaffeinated Coke. To my mind, that all goes a bit beyond “choosing to abstain”, leaning heavily toward proscription. It may not actually have been the Church position, but it came awfully close.
My mother and a few of her freinds all drink herbal tea’s are they breaking the rules? Or is there an eception to the hot drinks rule?
On a related note, apparently the Seventh-Day-Adventist lifestyle does contibute to an increase in longevity.
I was raised in the church, spent may hours in Sunday school, priesthood and other classes learning about the word of Wisdom and there is one thing I still don’t understand. Why does every discussion about the Word of Wisdom turn into an argument about weither Coke is included or not?
By the way, just because it has not been posted yet:
http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/89
Dunno. It’s just fun.
So… how about Hot Chocolate?
Google ‘mormons diabetes’.