Understanding the True Relationship Between Faith and Health: Theory and Evidence From the GoodNEWS (Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness and Spiritual Growth) Project

The GoodNEWS (Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness and Spiritual Growth) Project combines faith and science principles into a program promoting health and wellbeing among individuals and communities. In pilot studies sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in twelve inner-city congregations (2003 – 2005), the program contributed to participants (n=22) exercising three times a week (p=.02), consuming fruit and vegetables three or more times a day (p=.01), and avoiding fried foods (p=.03). The project has collaborated with 80 congregations, trained more than 150 Lay Health Promoters, and is presently engaged in a five-year National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study testing its affect on reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease among members of twenty-eight congregations. The project explains outcomes through the interaction of faith and science. Simply speaking, recent epigenetic studies demonstrate that although the types of chemicals (food, liquid, and air) we put into our bodies affect our health, equally important to health outcomes are the types of messages (thoughts and feelings, perceptions and beliefs, and values and attitudes) we receive and share with others. Therefore, living as recommended by faith traditions – with love, forgiveness, hopefulness, and other positive messages – is essential for promoting health. The GoodNEWS faith-health-science approach will be explained and supported using evidence from GoodNEWS pilot studies (2003 – 2005), validation studies (2005 – 2007), and clinical trial baseline data (2008). Emphasis will be placed on understanding how positive ways of thinking and behaving provide the foundation for “healthy” living patterns, and contribute to positive health outcomes