Medieval monks really were gluttonous

摘要

The growing problem of obesity is a challenge of our time,and much time and effort is being devoted to dealing with overeating and underexercising.Yet in the middle ages,we gather,tubby monks were quite a byword.The epic of Robin Hood and his merry men has familiarised us with the picture of Friar Tuck and,although monks do not appear in medieval art,they are commonplace in the literature of the period,with their reputation for feasting even during prescribed fasts.