Together We Can!
What is Overeaters Anonymous?
OA is a fellowship of individuals who have a desire to stop eating compulsively. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating, compulsive food behaviors, and to carry the message of recovery to those who still suffer.
We are powerless over food, but by working the 12 Steps of recovery with the help of other OA members (fellows), and a Higher Power, we can indeed join the ranks of the recovered compulsive overeater.
Please visit OA.ORG, and select "find a meeting" for available online, face-to-face, Zoom, and telephone meetings. You will also find great and important literature and information there.
OA is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book. We simply change the word "alcoholic" to "overeater".
Are you trying to decide whether OA is right for you?
If so, OA may provide the support you need to recover from this debilitating and deadly disease.
1. Do I eat when I’m not hungry, or not eat when my body needs nourishment?
2. Do I go on eating binges for no apparent reason, sometimes eating until I’m stuffed or even feel sick? 3. Do I have feelings of guilt, shame or embarrassment about my weight or the way I eat? 4. Do I eat sensibly in front of others and then make up for it when I am alone? 5. Is my eating affecting my health or the way I live my life? 6. When my emotions are intense—whether positive or negative—do I find myself reaching for food? 7. Do my eating behaviors make me or others unhappy? 8. Have I ever used laxatives, vomiting, diuretics, excessive exercise, diet pills, shots, or other medical interventions (including surgery) to try to control my weight? 9. Do I fast or severely restrict my food intake to control my weight? 10. Do I fantasize about how much better life would be if I were a different size or weight? 11. Do I need to chew or have something in my mouth all the time: food, gum, mints, candies or beverages? 12. Have I ever eaten food that is burned, frozen or spoiled; from containers in the grocery store; or out of the garbage? 13. Are there certain foods I can’t stop eating after having the first bite? 14. Have I lost weight with a diet or “period of control” only to be followed by bouts of uncontrolled eating and/or weight gain? 15. Do I spend too much time thinking about food, arguing with myself about whether or what to eat, planning the next diet or exercise cure, or counting calories?
Note:
There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations (Tradition 7). OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues (Traditions 6 & 10).
For those who prefer to send a check, please mail it to:
Annette Spychalski, OA Recovery Treasurer,
1155 Eden Park Lane,
Houston, TX 77018.