Have you tried multiple times to lose weight and/or control your eating? Do you spend excessive amounts of time thinking about food and your body size? Those of us recovering in OA have had struggles with one or more of these issues: compulsive overeating, under-eating, food addiction, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, or over exercising. No matter what challenges you face with food or body image, you are welcome in OA.
What is OA?
Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a Twelve Step fellowship of individuals who are recovering from many forms of compulsive eating. OA is not a diet club. Our fellowship is dedicated to helping those who wish to recover from compulsive eating, anorexia, bulimia, food addiction, and obesity.
As a member of OA, we share our experience, strength and hope with each other so that we may recover from compulsive eating. There are no dues or fees to be an OA member. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. We do not accept outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine, we take no opinion on outside issues.
Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.
Who Belongs in OA?
OA members are people from all around the world. Some of us have been obese, while some have been anorexic and/or bulimic. However, some of us who struggle with compulsive eating are a normal weight. Our members include those who struggle with many different compulsive eating “symptoms” including:
- Obesity
- Severely underweight/starving
- Obsession with body image
- Eating binges
- Grazing all day
- Always on a diet and/or preoccupation with losing weight
- Laxative or diuretic abuse
- Excessive exercise
- Vomiting after eating
- Chewing and spitting out food
- Failed weight loss surgery
- Use of diet pills and shots to manage our weight
- Inability to stop eating some foods after taking the first bite
- Fantasies about food
- Constantly thinking about food
If you also struggle with any of these food issues, OA offers a solution to our common problem through the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous.
The Twelve Steps can be found here Twelve Steps – Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org)
Who Belongs in OA?
OA members are people from all around the world. Some of us have been obese, while some have been anorexic and/or bulimic. However, some of us who struggle with compulsive eating are a normal weight. Our members include those who struggle with many different compulsive eating “symptoms” including:
- Obesity
- Severely underweight/starving
- Obsession with body image
- Eating binges
- Grazing all day
- Always on a diet and/or preoccupation with losing weight
- Laxative or diuretic abuse
- Excessive exercise
- Vomiting after eating
- Chewing and spitting out food
- Failed weight loss surgery
- Use of diet pills and shots to manage our weight
- Inability to stop eating some foods after taking the first bite
- Fantasies about food
- Constantly thinking about food
Am I a Compulsive Overeater?
OA includes members who have experienced different manifestations of compulsive eating and food behaviors. Our fellowship includes anorexics, bulimics, and overeaters. ALL who struggle with food obsession are welcome and have found recovery in OA. Weight is not a criterion for membership. Whatever your problem with food, OA welcomes you.
To see if you’re in the right place, we suggest you take the quiz.
(have a button in the same style as the home page directing the newcomer to: Take the OA Quiz – Overeaters Anonymous)
What is an OA Meeting Like?
If you have concerns about your relationship with food, we hope that you’ll give yourself a chance for recovery in OA. Meetings are available in person, online, and by phone. We recommend that newcomers attend at least six different meetings to help you decide if OA is for you.
To see what a meeting is like, you can listen to a meeting here: Interviews, Readings, and Meetings – Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org)
You will be welcome at any meeting. You’ll find you are not alone anymore. Everyone at the meeting knows where you’re coming from about food. Here’s what happens at a typical meeting, but all meetings are a little different.
Once you’ve found a meeting that you want to check out, you show up. Set aside an hour for your meeting. Consider this “you” time. You’ll meet others like you with a simple first-name introduction and be genuinely welcomed. Get yourself settled with the group to enjoy various readings, members sharing their journeys, and learning more about OA. Participate as much or as little as you want. You are welcome to share, but you don’t have to. If you have questions, you can talk with individual members after the meeting. Congratulations—you completed your first meeting!
But, wait. What about the weigh-in? What about paying a membership fee? There’s none of that. When people become members, they often voluntarily contribute, but it’s never required. We promise.
So, to recap, at OA there’s …
- No weigh-in
- No membership fees
- No judgment
- No religion (we’re a spiritual group)
- A safe place for everyone (all genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, and sizes)
- A program that works
- Hope
- …and there are people who will understand
How Do I Start?
If you have concerns about your relationship with food, we hope that you’ll give yourself a chance for recovery in OA. Please browse our website and attend a meeting. Many of our locations have face-to-face meetings, but we also have many virtual meetings every day of the week at many different times of the day. Learn some of the program basics by reading the following:
Program Basics: Working the Program – Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org)