In the text, The Franciscan Book of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald Press (see here) under St. Joseph of Leonissa (Feast Day February 4th), there is a reference "On Mortifying the Appetite" - It occurs to me if I (and many others) had followed his good advise, our struggle with obesity would be solved!

I like to eat. Many people do. We do it to survive, but our attraction to sweets, snacks, sodas, etc., that's another story. We used to fast much more in Lent than we do now. Especially those who are over the age limit ... the Church wisely constructed an age limit so that the elderly and those who need special diets aren't further impacted by a fast. A little mortification, however, is good for the soul, so make it voluntary.

1. Consider how at a very tender age St, Joseph of Leonissa mortified his appetite by voluntary fasting, and later went so far as to seek his necessary nourishment by preference only in food that was repugnant to the natural taste and might even have injured his health, if the Divine Spirit who urged him to do it had not protected him. Thus he proved himself a true son of St. Francis, of whom St. Bonaventure writes: "When he was well, he seldom ate cooked foods and when he was obliged to eat them, he would mix ashes and water with the food. He did not only abstain from wine, but never even desired to drink water." Our Seraphic Father did this because he had considered the words of the Apostle: "They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh" (Gal 5:24). -- According to their rule, Tertiaries are also required to be temperate in eating and drinking. In this matter, have you proved yourself a true child of St. Francis?

I'm not sure the fasting St. Joseph of Leonissa did, was good for him. Mixing ashes and water with food, that's a little to ascetic for my taste, but on the other hand, refraining from sweets IS a good thing! To eat certain foods cold or raw that really need to be cooked (such as meat), is not healthy. But to eat just enough of food and not in excess would be beneficial to all of us. And, most definitely yes, Tertiaries (e.g. Secular Franciscans) will benefit spiritually from being temperate in eating and drinking. If you are a true child of St. Francis, eating less and/or fewer sweets and delicacies, is not self-punishment but a challenge we accept for Jesus and Mary.

2. Consider how easily and in how many ways we can indulge the appetite: by eating too much, by eating too often, by eating too greedily, by eating too daintily. Many who guard against the first three instances, are caught in the meshes of the last. God has ordained that our food should naturally have a pleasing taste in order that it may be conducive to good health, and it is no fault if we relish our food. But fondness for delicacies serves merely to satisfy an inordinate desire for food and drink; as St. Chrysostom says, some people seem to live in order to eat instead of eating in order to live. -- Do you belong to this class?

Eating too greedily - wolfing the food down as if there is no tomorrow, some people eat as if someone is standing there trying to take the food away from them ... slow down, trust in God's Providence, and taste what you are eating. If you do that, you don't require that much! As I eat lunch (my "hot" meal) out a lot in a local restaurant, ask yourself if that inviting dessert is really necessary, or it is to still a sudden craving? Don't fall into that trap, because the more sweets you eat, the more you want them.

3. Consider the means to overcome the inordinate desire for eating and drinking. It is related of St. Adelgundis that upon reflecting how difficult it is to satisfy the needs of the body without yielding to sensual pleasure, she asked God to deprive her of all pleasure in eating and drinking. Then St. Peter appeared to her and gave her a piece of bread from heaven. Thereafter no earthly food could again rouse her appetite. If we, too, partake of heavenly food, that is, if in the frequent contemplation of the joys of heaven we gain a foretaste of their sweetness, and if we recall that it was through eating of forbidden fruit that heaven was closed to be reopened only when Christ drank the bitter chalice of His Passion and the nauseous gall, then perhaps earthly food will tempt us less than before. We will be glad daily to offer a sacrifice to God by mortifying our appetite as did St. Joseph of Leonissa, so that we may grow in the relish of pious practices and hereafter be made partakers of heavenly sweetness.

Craving lots of food and drink is a form of sensual pleasure to some. The only Heavenly food we really want is to partake in the Eucharist, that is a Heavenly food that feeds the soul. The inner person. It is better to meditate on the riches of Heaven which we may gain if we behave ourselves, than to crave material goods and foods we really do not need in the quantity we want. Let us pray for the intercession and assistance of St. Joseph of Leonissa, "so that we may grow in the relish of pious practices and hereafter be made partakers of heavenly sweetness."

The indented paragraphs are from The Franciscan Book of Saints. (Used with permission)
Fred Schaeffer, OFS