Day 299: Respect for Health

Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good. Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance. CCC 2288

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the respect we are to have for our health. This can be a tough one, touching on at least three of the Seven Deadly Sins: from gluttony & sloth, to pride. Not only are we made in the image of God (Gen 1:27), but our bodies are "a temple of the Holy Spirit within you" (1 Cor 6:19-20). I confess to being guilty myself of the first two in this, which is something I'm working to overcome. 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes the duty we have toward our body:

We must take reasonable care of our own physical health and that of others, but avoid the cult of the body and every kind of excess. Also to be avoided are the use of drugs which cause very serious damage to human health and life, as well as the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, and medicine. (#474)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

God has given us physical health; it is a good, but not an ultimate good. We should care for the body and our health while not succumbing to an attitude that worships them. A culture that overly emphasizes health, youth, or beauty distorts our view of other people. If we allow ourselves to be affected strongly by our culture that exalts those who have these qualities above those who lack them, this attitude brings about a distortion of how we approach and value other human beings. (p. 114) 

Two good watchwords for this would be moderation and humility to avoid both extremes. 

Exercise is one way of caring for the "precious gifts" of our lives and our bodies' well-being (CCC 2288). (p. 115)