'Anti-Fat Pastor' Steve Reynolds Stresses Importance of Weight Loss in New Book
America's self-described "anti-fat pastor" Steve Reynolds has published a new book, "Get Off The Couch: A Man's A.C.T.I.O.N Plan," which takes a new approach to man's struggle with weight loss by incorporating Biblical guidelines and support.
Reynolds has been the lead pastor at northern Virginia's Capital Baptist Church for over 25 years and a few years ago was in the same place as many overweight and obese individuals currently find themselves in today.
In 2006, Reynolds weighed 340 pounds and was diagnosed with type II diabetes; that development in his life convinced him that he needed make some serious changes. That is when he developed his six point planned dubbed his "action plan" that he used to make the changes in his life he so desperately needed.
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The word "body" is found in the Bible 179 times and served as the initial inspiration for Reynolds, who understood if he was providing his congregants with spiritual guidance from the Bible he needed to follow his own advice and refer to scripture to help him regain the same level of importance of the body that God had placed in him.
But his plan was not designed for the individual- it was created to be used in groups of Christian men. He understands that being part of a team provides added encouragement and support for men who are not keen on trying to lose weight on their own.
Reynolds knew that a person's words would only be heard for so long, but he knew from his experience from battling his own weight issues that he could depend on using God's own teaching for inspiration and strength.
"From a spiritual perspective just the whole idea that God's called us to honor him with our bodies. Colossians 1:16 says we are made by God, but we are also made for God. So God is not just the creator of our bodies, but he is the controller of our bodies," Reynolds told The Christian Post during an interview.
"So we have been called to honor him with our bodies and it's not about gratifying our-self," adding that we need to move away from gratification and move closer to glorification.
Reynolds revealed that he specifically targeted overweight Christian men because he felt that they were being overlooked in the wide push for shedding pounds.
In Reynolds' opinion, there are separate social and cultural expectations of men and women in America when it comes to weight. Those separate expectations have caused men to fade into the background of the weight loss focus, producing a level of male complacency that impacts their relationship with God.
It requires commitment and the continued message of "get healthy for testimony sake," said Reynolds.
The A.C.T.I.O.N plan because helps men find greater support and encouragement through a team rather than sustaining the weight loss drive in isolation. It provides Christian groups a way to be centered on the greatest health book in the world, the Bible.
America's "Anti-Fat Pastor" believes that churches around the country need to step up and lead in the drive to become healthier.
