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If you are having weight control problems and can’t seem to stick to a diet, you may want to consider joining a support group like Overeaters Anonymous.
With support from other individuals who fit into the same category as yourself, usually that of a compulsive overeater, you will find the backing and willpower you need to overcome your obstacles and lose the weight you need to be healthy.
How do you know when it’s time to call Overeaters Anonymous (OA), and what is it like to join the group? |
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What to Expect from Overeaters AnonymousFirst... ask yourself several questions to determine if you are a compulsive overeater. Do you eat when you aren’t hungry? Do you go on binges for no reason? Do you feel guilty after eating or look forward to planned binges of pleasure eating when you're alone? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you are definitely showing signs of addiction to eating. Other symptoms include eating reasonable portions around others and binging in secret, inability to stay on a diet for more than a week, craving foods at a specific time of day other than mealtimes, and eating to escape from other worries, troubles, or responsibilities. Remember, you don’t have to show all of these signs – a combination of three or four of these symptoms show that you are already or could be on your way to becoming a compulsive overeater and that you might want to attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
The meeting usually opens up with a Serenity Prayer, followed by an invitation that describes the twelve-step program that the organization uses (licensed from Alcoholics Anonymous and modified for their use). A speaker may give a 10-15 minute talk about what life was like before joining the group, how he or she struggled, and how joining OA helped them on all three levels – physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Anonymity, as the name suggests, is key, and anything said inside an Overeaters Anonymous meeting is confidential. This allows group members to feel comfortable in sharing problems and taking feedback from others who have walked in similar shoes. Others may wish to exchange names and phone numbers to build friendships so that you can support each other outside the structured meeting.
Something that does not happen at any Overeaters Anonymous meeting is a weigh-in session, and you won’t find options to buy prepackaged foods. This organization is not a weight loss program. Rather, like AA, the 12-step program offered through OA is set up to achieve a mental state and overall wellness that leads to a reduction in the need to eat unnecessarily.
The first step is admission that you are out of control, that you have become powerless to the draw of food, which made life unmanageable. From there, you begin the healing and recovery process through addressing your spiritual needs, emotional symptoms, and finally your physical ailments. The strategy of Overeaters Anonymous is to correct the root cause of overeating rather than to force a diet that will eventually fail. By healing the whole person, OA may offer you the assistance you need to get your life in order.
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