dieting and fasting

My word speaks of fasting as a spiritual exercise. Dieting is culturally familiar concept, and both involve voluntarily going without food. Do you think they are the same thing? The same activity can be different depending on the motivation and purpose. You diet to lose weight. Why do you fast? Traditionally it has been a means of spiritual growth, a separation from the things of this world to encounter the things of God. If you need to lose weight that can be a beneficial side effect, but those who diet do not encounter God as a side effect. Two people doing the same thing for different reasons are not doing the same thing.