Overeaters Anynymous..anyone??

Korrie

Korrie

Moderator
Has anyone gone to an OA meeting before?? I just found out theres one in the next town over and thought about going. Just wondering if anyones done it before and what they thought??
 
I haven't but I've done a little bit of Googling. Sounds like AA (for better or for worse).

From

There is an official website for the US based group Overeaters Anonymous. We are told that this group aims to help those who have a problem with compulsive eating. The twelve step recovery system which is a core belief system used by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous is also fundamental to the work of Overeaters Anonymous. Of course weight gain and other problems involving food and eating have a number of origins which differ according to the individual person concerned. The official website for Overeaters Anonymous contains a questionnaire which enables you to evaluate whether this group could be of help to you. We are told that Overeaters Anonymous was created for those who use food to fill emotional or spiritual voids.
Ingredients

Overeaters Anonymous is a support group for those who have a problem with compulsive eating.
Product Features

The official website for Overeaters Anonymous contains details of meetings in States all over the USA. The official website also has details of Overeaters Anonymous groups and meetings overseas. We are told that if there is no meeting in your area that you can take part in on line or telephone meetings. The official website for Overeaters Anonymous contains inspirational stories and recovery stories. Of course anyone who suddenly gains weight should first seek the advice of their family Physician as weight gain has many different origins some which can of course be medical. Those who suffer from diabetes or thyroid problems often experience weight gain. Furthermore a large number of women experience weight gain with the onset of the menopause.
Advantages

There is a detailed official website for Overeaters Anonymous.
Online and telephone meeting are available for those who cannot attend meetings in person.
Overeaters Anonymous provides support to those who may have compulsive eating disorders.

Disadvantages

Not everyone who suffers weight gain does so due to a compulsive eating disorder.
This group will not address the needs of those who simply want to lose a few pounds and do not have an eating disorder.
Those who believe that they have a compulsive eating disorder should probably first seek the opinion of their Family Physician.
Overeaters Anonymous may not be suitable for those who are not religious as it involves a strong religious influence during treatment.

Conclusion

Anyone who gains weight suddenly should not automatically assume that they have an eating disorder as there are a number of medical reasons for sudden weight gain. Evidently Overeaters Anonymous is certainly not going to suitable for everyone as the vast majority of women who want to lose weight do not have a compulsive eating disorder. However for those who do have a genuine compulsive eating disorder Overeaters Anonymous may be a valuable source of support in conjunction with that given by your Family Physician.
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It's overtly religious in tone. All about dieting through interaction with God and prayer. Find it all very creepy and cult like. Also, I think that groups like this try and make being over-weight a disease, which I don't agree with.
 
well, i personally do think that having a food addiction is just like being an alcoholic or addicted to drugs of some kind. Although part of me thinks being addicted to food is harder to break than being a smoker or drinker because you HAVE to eat.

And as far as the religious tone, that sounds great by me. I guess that makes sense since it is in a church. I am a christian and I know I'm not strong enough to fight this battle alone. I know I need to pray for strength...I just can't connect the dots yet. Maybe this group will help??
 
I don't see overeating in any way comparable to being an alcoholic. Same concept (self inflicted, NOT an illness/disease), but other than that, not in the same ballpark. Alcoholism causes a dependency, with very real withdrawal symptoms if the alcohol is taken away.

Overeating is just that. Eating too much, and eating less is not going to cause any pain/physcial withdrawal symptoms. Therefore I am very leery to even agree that there is something like a 'food addiction'.

For most people, a group like that will be a brilliant excuse - 'But I have a disorder, it's not may fault!!!'. The few people who have a real eating disorders need medical and psychological support, not some cult-like group that tells them it'll all be fine if they just say their prayers.

Sorry, not buying into this one.
 
I personally don't think this kind of paradigm is going to be helpful for food related issues. It seems to involve admitting to some sort of powerlessness about food, and giving up control of your own life to a "higher power". Leaving religious issues completely to one side (because my opinion on that matter won't help in this case), surely control is the one thing that you really need when trying to lose weight? (I would argue the same way about AA and NA, but alcohol and narcotics are things you can cut from your life entirely, whereas food isn't and never will be) If it means anything, my own personal experience of weight loss this time around is that having control, and knowing I have control, has been absolutely key to sticking with it and to the results I've seen.
 
I agree with a lot of what's been said but I think you've got to give credit where it's due: AA (and the like) have helped a lot of people (I know two) to give up their habit completely. Whether or not it can be applied to overeating, well, that I don't know but I think it's not going to hurt for you to give it a try and see if it helps. Different people find different things useful!
 
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amy1985 said:
I personally don't think this kind of paradigm is going to be helpful for food related issues. It seems to involve admitting to some sort of powerlessness about food, and giving up control of your own life to a "higher power". Leaving religious issues completely to one side (because my opinion on that matter won't help in this case), surely control is the one thing that you really need when trying to lose weight? (I would argue the same way about AA and NA, but alcohol and narcotics are things you can cut from your life entirely, whereas food isn't and never will be) If it means anything, my own personal experience of weight loss this time around is that having control, and knowing I have control, has been absolutely key to sticking with it and to the results I've seen.
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For what it's worth, I totally agree with this.
 
Holly88 said:
I agree with a lot of what's been said but I think you've got to give credit where it's due: AA (and the like) have helped a lot of people (I know two) to give up their habit completely. Whether or not it can be applied to overeating, well, that I don't know but I think it's not going to hurt for you to give it a try and see if it helps. Different people find different things useful!
Click to expand...

I agree as well. It may not work for everyone, but if it helps some people, then I wouldn't discourage it.
 
While I have never heard of OA, it seems to follow a 12 step plan similar to AA.I attended aa and while it was not for me I disagree that it is some sort of crazy cult. Sure it has a spiritual aspect to it but at the end of the day it's just a support network for people going through the same thing trying to help each other.

With my drinking it was not until I changed my mindset and realised I was the one responsible for my drinking and I was the only one who could stop my drinking.

To the op I would say go for it, I find talking about my problems with like minded people to be very helpful.
 
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