Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship for people seeking recovery from compulsive eating and related food behaviours. Its programme uses peer support, shared experience and the Twelve Steps, with meetings and service structures in multiple countries.
Organization profile
- Organization type
- Patient organization / disease alliance
- Headquarters / base
- Rio Rancho (World Service Office), New Mexico, United States
- Geographic scope
- Global
Medical focus
Activities
Population served
A fellowship supported by a service office
OA welcomes people who want to stop eating compulsively. Its members support one another through their own experience of recovery and participation in the programme. There are no membership dues or fees; the fellowship is supported through contributions from its members.
The World Service Office is in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States. This office location is separate from OA’s international meeting network. The official website provides resources for members, groups and service bodies, as well as information for people approaching OA for the first time.
The programme and its practical tools
OA’s programme is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Members commonly work with a sponsor, another member who shares experience and provides guidance through the programme. OA describes recovery in physical, emotional and spiritual terms without affiliation to a religious denomination.
Its tools include meetings, sponsorship, writing, literature, communication with other members, service, an action plan and a plan of eating. These are presented as elements of the fellowship’s recovery practice. Plans can differ between members; OA’s shared programme is not a single prescribed diet for everyone.
Meetings and continuing connection
Members meet in person and through telephone or other virtual formats. The official meeting resources and links to service bodies help people identify opportunities appropriate to their location and circumstances. Group participation, contact with a sponsor and communication between meetings provide different ways to stay connected with the fellowship.