Where you start depends on what works best for you. Some people like to dive straight into meetings, while other people want to find out more first. We've tried to answer all the most frequently asked questions here, and provide links so you can get whatever information you need to make a start. We recommend reading the OA brochure called "Where do I start?" which is a brilliant guide to getting started in OA.
12 Step programs are all based on the original program, Alcoholics Anonymous, which recommends 12 Steps to deal with alcoholism and the difficulties that arise from it. OA has adapted the AA 12 Steps to refere to compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors instead of alcohol and drinking, but leave the rest of the wording the same. We include the book 'Alcoholics Anonymous' in our literature, but we also have our own books and pamphlets that focus on the issues that relate to food and eating problems. Many of us relate strongly to the idea that we have an addiction, and experience feelings like withdrawal when we try to abstain from compulsive eating.
Overeaters Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous are completely independent.
There are no dues or fees for membership in OA. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. Our Seventh Tradition explains that we don't accept donations from anyone who is not a member. We cover our own group costs so we can continue to meet and keep OA as a whole alive.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our traditions. It is important to feel safe to share honestly about what is difficult in our lives. We practice anonymity by not telling anyone what is said in our meetings or who attends. We don't 'out' other members by mentioning our connection through OA outside of meetings.
There is no obligation to buy anything. OA has some great literature and some of this is extremely helpful in working our program of recovery. However what you buy, if anything, is entirely up to you.
Absolutely not. OA is a spiritual program (not religious). While weighing helps some people, many of us have been made so miserable by our battles with the scales that we find it helpful to change our relationship with weighing. This might mean only weighing ourselves once a month or only when we go to the doctor. It's up to us to find out what works best for us. A sponsor might share how they deal with the issue of weighing, and may have a suggestion for us if we ask.
OA is not a weight-loss program, though many of us do lose weight as we deal with the issues that make us want to eat compulsively. As our eating becomes healthier, our weight tends to settle into a healthier range.
We don't give dietary advice. However in our brochure "Where do I start?" you can find a number of different dietician-approved plans of eating. One of these might work for you, but you might prefer to seek advice from a doctor who specialises in dietary issues, or a dietician of your own.
A sponsor is someone more experienced in the OA program who is willing to share their experience with you and help you "work the Steps" They won't tell you what to do: they will tell you what they did when they were in a similar situation. Read more about how sponsoring works.
No one is "in charge of OA" as such. Members take responsibility for keeping their own OA meetings going and, when they can, send a part of their Seventh Tradition contributions to the OA World Service Office . This allows OA to have a global website, produce publications, and organise the annual World Service Business Conference where delegates vote on whatever has got onto the agenda over the last year.
