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Religiosity has a favorable effect on human health
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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A team of researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia recently found that religious people are more likely to be obese than atheists.
This applies to all major world religions, but the relationship is most clearly seen in the case of Islam and Christianity. At the same time, scientists have discovered that having a religion of any kind has a positive effect on human health. It turns out that people who believe in God are, on average, 4%-5% less likely to get sick.
The reason for these phenomena is partly that, according to many religious teachings, frankly harmful things - drinking alcohol, red meat, gluttony, as well as an idle lifestyle, which sometimes leads to the acquisition of bad habits, can be prohibited directly by the teachings themselves. Also, the world's largest religions prohibit premarital sex, as well as such a concept as fornication in general. By promoting monogamy, religions significantly contribute to curbing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Also, people who believe in God are usually less prone to stress, which has a positive effect on the state of their cardiovascular system. Obesity is only one of the potential downsides - a religious person usually has a 7% higher risk of achieving an elevated body mass index, which is what will be characterized as obesity.
In particular, many clergymen lead a sedentary and inactive lifestyle, not paying due attention to physical exercise. Refusal of sports very often occurs among ordinary believers after 30-35 years. In particular, Christians, denying the possibility of resolving conflicts with the help of physical force, as a rule, completely lose the incentive to develop their body, paying much more attention to maintaining mental balance.
In general, scientists admit that, despite some disadvantages, being a believer is good for your health – no matter what religion you are talking about. If there is every reason to believe that people who believe in God live on average 7-12 years longer than atheists, however, these are only rough estimates.
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