2. Gluttony

Gluttony

Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins. Defined as the wasting of food, either through overindulgence (food, drink or intoxicants), the misplaced desire for food for its sensuality, or the withholding of food from the needy and also the desire to overindulge one's self (and not just food, but other goods as well).

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

Even though gluttony is one of the original sins of our society it was at certain times accepted. This was especially true in the preliterate, tribal societies. Most physical activity done by the tribal people was in effort to produce or gather food. Despite all of the hard work there were still many uncontrollable factors such as drought that meant that hunger was a common experience for the people. Therefore when there were short periods of relative plenty due to good growing conditions gluttony was a common and accepted practice.

It was even valued for the tribal societies because if they were to not indulge themselves when large quantities of food were available they would waste food and also more deaths due to starvation would result. Evidence for this can be found in the essay "An Anthropological Approach to the Problems of Obesity" by Hortense Powdermaker where a South African tribal expression is, "We shall eat until our bellies swell out and we can no longer stand