CST Handouts: Obesity in America

The Catholic Church contains a great deal of information about the themes of Catholic social thought. There are many challenges we face in the world and the Church has most of the answers to them. Through these seven overlying themes, can people see how to properly treat people and handle different situations. Obesity is a big problem in the world. This paper will specifically talk about how the Church would interpret these Catholic social teaching themes and apply them to this social injustice we call obesity.

CST #1 – Life and the Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church believes that every life is precious and sacred. The preservation of human life and their dignity are the foundation of Catholic social teachings. All humans should be healthy. The body is sacred therefore we must protect it by making sure everyone is eating or has access to the proper foods.


CST #2 – Call to Family, Community, and Participation
We are called to not only love each other individually, but we must love each other as a community. By working to promote and protect the good of society will we be able to reach our full potential. There are many people fighting obesity alone. We must help those individuals become healthier and fight off obesity by watching out for our neightbors

CST #3 – Rights and Responsibilities
All humans have the absolute right to food, housing, medical care, education, and work. Humans must protect human rights and meet their responsibilities. Everyone has the right to food, but only the good and healthy foods. It is the responsibility of everyone to make sure that healthy foods are being served.

CST #4 – Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Humans are called to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first since society is only as strong as its weakest members. The poor and vulnerable are the ones most affected by obesity. It is our duty to make sure that these people are getting properly nourished because we already have the proper tools to live a healthy life.

CST #5 – The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
Humans work to fulfill God’s creation. Basic workers rights protected in order to ensure the dignity of workers. Because there are many poor people who cannot afford healthy foods, these people must make a decent wage/salary in order to be able to get these healthy foods.

CST #6 – Solidarity
All humans, no matter what race, gender, or age, are a part of one family. We need to learn to love our neighbors in order to achieve solidarity. Obesity does not target a specific race, gender, or age group; it targets anyone and everyone. Humans need to show that they care for everyone equally in order to show solidarity.

CST #7 – Care for God’s Creation
We are required to respect and protect the Earth. We cannot ignore the Earth because there are many moral and ethical problems. Humans and the Earth are all a part of God’s creations. Obesity affects the way we treat our animals and our environment. We must learn to respect God’s creations in order to fulfill God’s plans.

This is only a brief view at what the Church stands for in this particular subject. For more information, read the papal, conciliar, and Episcopal documents that make up the Catholic tradition.