Overweight and obesity have been linked to increased susceptibility to many health complications. While these diseases are largely preventable, they have become increasingly common in the United States. Adherence to conservative religious norms and doctrines, such as prohibitions against drinking and smoking, may raise one's risk for an elevated body mass since adherents to such groups may substitute food for cigarettes and alcohol. However, few sociologists have examined the effects of religion on body mass.

The main goals of this study were to (1) study the association between religious involvement and body mass and (2) examine whether this involvement was attenuated by demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and personal health behaviors. Particular attention was given to the influence of smoking and drinking on the relationship between religious involvement and obesity. Data were taken from the Utah Health Status Survey for 1996.

The findings indicate that (1) the effects of religious involvement on body mass index vary by age and sex; (2) controlling for drinking and smoking behaviors substantially reduces differences between most religious groups; (3) differences in body mass index by religious involvement appear to be largely attributable to the effects of smoking and not to religious involvement per se; (4) after all controls have been made, young religiously inactive Mormon females, older religiously inactive Mormon females, older religiously active Mormons females, middle age active Mormon males, and older inactive Mormon males have a significantly higher body mass index than their age/sex peers who are inactive non-Mormons. This research shows the importance of smoking and drinking in regards to body mass, but also shows that future researchers should explore other factors that may account for differences in body mass among religious groups (e.g. types of food eaten by different religious groups).