Conservapedia says “Yes!”
On a serious note, are there any serious (i.e. NOT Conservapedia) studies on the subject of how belief and nonbelief influence weight? I was raised in a fundamentalist Baptist church and remember most churchgoers being significantly overweight, but I’m not sure if this is simply my personal experience or a national trend.
Atheism has nothing to do with diet, so I really doubt there’s anything to that idea. However, given that some religious sects have various dietary rules I suppose it’s possible that people belonging to those particular sects are on average skinnier.
Isn’t the rate of obesity increasing faster in the more religious southern U.S. states?
I think so, but I have no evidence of it.
*<googles>
*Well, what do you know there may actually be a link between religious activity and obesity. That certainly hadn’t occurred to me.
You do realize that you’re implying Conservapedia is wrong, right?
Shocking, I know. 
Since atheism would seem to slant heavily towards more educated people, income tends to rise with education, and more income means better quality food (and less fast food), it would follow that atheists would tend to be less obese than non-atheists.
Or even more simply, smart people are less likely to be fat because they are more aware of the consequences AND how to avoid obesity in the first place.
Feel free to hack away at any of the points above.
Makes sense, but the study linked above claimed to have controlled for all the obvious factors (income, education, gender, etc) and still found a strong effect.
For the love of God people this thread should have stopped at post #4, and Post #4 should have read “Thanks for the reminder that correlation does not equal causation Bryan Ekers”. Do not allow this thread to have more posts attempting to make bizarre theories from a 3rd variable problem.
edit: Simplico - it didn’t find an effect it found a correlation. They can control variables until the cows come home but it is still just a correlation. C’mon.
It isn’t a direct correlation, but the fattest areas of the nation also generally seem to be the most religious. The south has the most of both and the northwest and northeast have the least of both.
If this is true then it is proof that God has a sense of humor.
Yeah, ISTR (no cites, alas) that Mormons and Seventh-Day Adventists tend to be slimmer and healthier than average.
I think you are missing the point. Conservapedia says atheists are more likely to be overweight. Turns out not only are they wrong but they are 180 degrees wrong. It’s not like some liberal media person said teh religious is phat.
WTF is up with conservatives and reality?
They don’t get along. Too many broken promises.
It’s all those church potlucks.
They’re substituting their own.
Whatever this is, it is not a debate. It also does not seem much like an opinion poll, so I guess that its next home will be MPSIMS.
(I’m going to have to consider getting a rule created that states that any OP in Great Debates that cites Conservapedia will automatically be moved to a joke forum, (preferably off the SDMB).)
[ /Modding ]
Correlation is not causation, dammit!
Fat motherfucking brother-murdering atheists. If I see them clacking with their Birkenstocks trying to talk about Jesus. Kill them motherfuckers dead! FTR I’m not that fat anymore, and when I was at my heaviest, I was reading heavy into Austrian Economics (thanks B. Smith! thanks Nozick!). Correlation? Nerd = fatass. Maybe.