The Role of Religious Leaders in Promoting Healthy Habits in Religious Institutions

Abstract

The growing obesity epidemic in the West, in general, and the U.S.A., in particular, is resulting in deteriorating health, premature and avoidable onset of disease, and excessive health care costs. The religious community is not immune to these societal conditions. Changing health behavior in the community requires both input from individuals who possess knowledge and credibility and a receptive audience. One group of individuals who may be uniquely positioned to promote community change but have been virtually ignored in the applied health and consulting psychology literature is religious leaders. These individuals possess extraordinary credibility and influence in promoting healthy behaviors by virtue of their association with time-honored religious traditions and the status which this affords them-as well as their communication skills, powers of persuasion, a weekly (captive) audience, mastery over religious texts that espouse the virtues of healthy living, and the ability to anchor health-related actions and rituals in a person's values and spirituality. This article focuses on ways in which religious leaders might promote healthy habits among their congregants. By addressing matters of health, nutrition, and fitness from the pulpit and in congregational programs, as well as by visibly adopting the tenets of a healthier lifestyle, clergy can deliver an important message regarding the need for healthy living. Through such actions, religious leaders can be effective agents in promoting critical change in these areas.

Heaven and Health: How Black, Latino, and Korean Christians View the Relationship between Faith and Health

“…Such findings bridge literature from the field of public health to sociology, promoting a better understanding of the role of religious organizations in health promotion. Clearly, as other studies suggest (Anshel and Smith 2014;Rowland and Isaac-Savage 2014;Dempsey et al 2016), health and medicine are salient topics in many communities of faith. This was seen in the sheer volume of health fairs, vaccination clinics, and other health initiatives mentioned by church members in our study.…”

“…Public health professionals have increasingly explored initiatives leveraging the ability of churches to bridge healthcare to historically underserved communities (Anshel and Smith 2014;Rowland and Isaac-Savage 2014;Dempsey, Butler, and Gaither 2016). This includes using religious organizations to distribute information on health care screening, medical services, and health insurance.…”

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“…Faith leaders maintain a role in the health of their congregations in many communities, and in partnership with public health entities. "Religious leaders possess extraordinary credibility and influence in promoting healthy behaviors by virtue of their association with time-honored religious traditions and the status which this affords them-as well as their communication skills, powers of persuasion, a weekly captive audience, mastery over religious texts that espouse the virtues of healthy living, and the ability to anchor health-related actions and rituals in a person's values and spirituality" (Anshel & Smith, 2014). In 2014, Oklahoma incorporated congregations to the list of organizations allowed to apply and receive recognition in the Certified Healthy Oklahoma program.…”

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“…These associations have been linked to lifestyle habits recommended and promoted by many faith communities (Anshel & Smith, 2013;Benjamins, Ellison, Krause & Marcum 2011;Campbell, Hudson, Resnicow, Paxton & Baskin, 2007;Nelson, 2009;VandeCreek, Carl & Parker, 1998). To this end, one particularly important agent in the process of 4 disseminating and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours is the religious leader 1 (Anshel & Smith, 2013).…”