The 12 Rewards

1. Faith instead of despair.
   


2. Courage instead of fear.
   


3. Hope instead of desperation.
   


4. Peace of mind instead of confusion.
   


5. Real friendships instead of loneliness.
   


6. Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
   


7. Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
   


8. A clean conscious instead of a sense of guilt.
   


9. The respect of others instead of their pity and contempt.
   


10. A clean pattern of living instead of a hopeless existence.
    


11. The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
    


12. The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.
    
    
    
    



Ann C. wrote this "a number of years before" the 1985 Internation Convention in Montreal, Canada where she set it to tape at the Oldtimers Meeting.

She wrote it to show the contrast that can take place in any of our lives if we will try to follow the AA principles.

Acceptance

And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation--some fact of my life--unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

--from p. 417 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (4th Edition)

Just For Today

JUST FOR TODAY I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appall me if I felt that I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be....

JUST FOR TODAY I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my LUCK as it comes and fit myself to it.

JUST FOR TODAY I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful. I will read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration.

JUST FOR TODAY I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it ,it will not count. I will do at least two things I don't want to do--just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticize not one bit, not find fault with anything, and not try to improve or regulate anybody except myself.

JUST FOR TODAY I will have a program. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

JUST FOR TODAY I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. During this half hour, some time, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.

JUST FOR TODAY I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

Serenity Prayer

Seventh Tradition

Give as if your life depends on it!

How much is your recovery worth to you?

Our disease tells us,

“There will never be enough.”

Scores of OA members worldwide have discovered that their fears of not having enough food, money, security or love have been lifted by a power greater than themselves. Experience has shown that OA recovery is far stronger than the debilitating disease of compulsive overeating, which also kept us captive to shame and insecurity about the future.

When describing the benefits of recovery,
many members point to the promises listed in
Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book), including:
“Our whole attitude and outlook upon life
will change. Fear of people and of economic
insecurity will leave us” (p. 84).

To know the true freedom of recovery is to
know that we can make sensible and necessary
financial contributions to OA at all levels, and
that this investment in our Fellowship ensures
we can continue to carry the message to the
still-suffering compulsive eater.

Our Seventh Tradition states that OA is
fully self-supporting, accepting contributions
only from OA members. While no fees or dues
will ever be required for membership, OA needs
help to keep its rooms open, provide opportunities
for fellowship and spread its message to
still-suffering compulsive overeaters.

What if I can’t afford to contribute now?

OA never requires a contribution. Members
may attend meetings for free as long as they
like. However, many of us have found that a
financial contribution, no matter how small,
supports our recovery.

Also, the concept of self-support applies to
service as well as finances. OA members
strengthen their recovery by giving service to
groups, intergroups, service boards, regions or
the World Service Office.

For more on OA's 7th tradition, please click here!

Daily Meditation

Our promise of recovery is in every OA meeting when we join hands, pray together and joyously, lovingly encourage one another:Keep coming back!

Overeaters Anonymous, 2nd edition (p. 17)

AA Sponsorship Pamphlet (1944) by Clarence Snyder

This is the first pamphlet ever written concerning sponsorship. It was written by Clarence H. Snyder in early 1944. Its original title was to be "AA Sponsorship...Its Obligations and Its Responsibilities." It was printed by the Cleveland Central Committee under the title:

"AA Sponsorship . . . Its Opportunities and Its Responsibilities."

PREFACE

Each member of Alcoholics Anonymous is a potential sponsor of a new member and should clearly recognize the obligations and duties of such responsibility.

The acceptance of an opportunity to take the AA plan to a sufferer of alcoholism entails very real and critically important responsibilities. Each member, undertaking the sponsorship of a fellow alcoholic, must remember that he is offering what is frequently the last chance of rehabilitation, sanity or maybe life itself.

Happiness, Health, Security, Sanity and Life of human beings are the things we hold in balance when we sponsor an alcoholic.

No member among us is wise enough to develop a sponsorship program that can be successfully applied in every case. In the following pages, however, we have outlined a suggested procedure, which supplemented by the member's own experience, has proven successful.

PERSONAL GAINS OF BEING A SPONSOR

No one reaps full benefit from any fellowship he is connected with unless he wholeheartedly engages in its important activities. The expansion of Alcoholics Anonymous to wider fields of greater benefit to more people results directly from the addition of new, worth-while members or associates.

Any AA who has not experienced the joys and satisfaction of helping another alcoholic regain his place in life has not yet fully realized the complete benefits of this fellowship. On the other hand, it must be clearly kept in mind that the only possible reason for bringing an alcoholic into AA is for that person's gain. Sponsorship should never be undertaken to :

Increase the size of the group
For personal satisfaction and glory
Because the sponsor feels it his duty to re-make the world.
Until an individual has assumed the responsibility of setting a shaking, helpless human being back on the path toward becoming a healthy useful, happy member of society, he has not enjoyed the complete thrill of being an AA

SOURCE OF NAMES

Most people have among their own friends and acquaintances someone who would benefit from our teachings. Others have names given to them by their church, by their doctor, by their employer, or by some other member, who cannot make a direct contact.

Because of the wide range of the AA activities, the names often come from unusual and unexpected places. These cases should be contacted as soon as all facts such as: marital status, domestic relations, financial status, drink habits, employment status and others readily obtainable are at hand.

IS THE PROSPECT A CANDIDATE?

Much time and effort can be saved by learning as soon as possible if :

The man really has a drinking problem?
Does he know he has a problem?
Does he want to do something about his drinking?
Does he want help?
Sometimes the answers to these questions cannot be made until the prospect has had some AA instruction, and an opportunity to think. Often we are given names, which upon investigation, show the prospect is in no sense an alcoholic, or is satisfied with his present plan of living. We should not hesitate to drop these names from our lists. Be sure, however, to let the man know where he can reach us at a later date.

WHO SHOULD BECOME MEMBERS?

AA is a fellowship of men and women bound together by their inability to use alcohol in any form sensibly, or with profit or pleasure. Obviously, any new members introduced should be the same kind of people, suffering from the same disease.

Most people can drink reasonably, but we are only interested in those who cannot. Party drinkers, social drinkers, celebrators, and others who continue to have more pleasure than pain from their drinking, are of no interest to us.

In some instances an individual might believe himself to be a social drinker when he definitely is an alcoholic. In many such cases more time must pass before that person is ready to accept our program. Rushing such a man before he is ready might ruin his chances of ever becoming a successful AA. Do not ever deny future help by pushing too hard in the beginning.

Some people, although definitely alcoholic, have no desire or ambition to better their way of living, and until they do........ AA has nothing to offer them.

Experience has shown that age, intelligence, education, background, or the amount of liquor drunk, has little, if any, bearing on whether or not the person is an alcoholic.

PRESENTING THE PLAN

In many cases a man's physical condition is such that he should be placed in a hospital, if at all possible. Many AA members believe hospitalization, with ample time for the prospect to think and plan his future, free from domestic and business worries, offers distinct advantage. In many cases the hospitalization period marks the beginning of a new life. Other members are equally confident that any man who desires to learn the AA plan for living can do it in his own home or while engaged in normal occupation. Thousands of cases are treated in each manner and have proved satisfactory.

SUGGESTED STEPS

The following paragraphs outline a suggested procedure for presenting the AA plan to the prospect, at home or in the hospital.

QUALIFY AS AN ALCOHOLIC

1. In calling upon a new prospect, it has been found best to qualify oneself as an ordinary person who has found happiness, contentment, and peace of mind through AA Immediately make it clear to the prospect that you are a person engaged in the routine business of earning a living. Tell him your only reason for believing yourself able to help him is because you yourself are an alcoholic and have had experiences and problems that might be similar to his.

TELL YOUR STORY

2. Many members have found it desirable to launch immediately into their personal drinking story, as a means of getting the confidence and whole-hearted co-operation of the prospect.

It is important in telling the story of your drinking life to tell it in a manner that will describe an alcoholic, rather than a series of humorous drunken parties. This will enable the man to get a clear picture of an alcoholic which should help him to more definitely decide whether he is an alcoholic.

INSPIRE CONFIDENCE IN AA

3. In many instances the prospect will have tried various means of controlling his drinking, including hobbies, church, changes of residence, change of associations, and various control plans. These will, of course, have been unsuccessful. Point out your series of unsuccessful efforts to control drinking...their absolute fruitless results and yet that you were able to stop drinking through application of AA principles. This will encourage the prospect to look forward with confidence to sobriety in AA in spite of the many past failures he might have had with other plans.

TALK ABOUT "PLUS" VALUES

4. Tell the prospect frankly that he can not quickly understand all the benefits that are coming to him through AA. Tell him of the happiness, peace of mind, health, and in many cases, material benefits which are possible through understanding and application of the AA way of life.

SHOW IMPORTANCE OF READING THE BIG BOOK

5. Explain the necessity of reading and re-reading the AA Big Book. Point out that this book gives a detailed description of the AA tools and the suggested methods of application of these tools to build a foundation of rehabilitation for living. This is a good time to emphasize the importance of the twelve steps.

QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS IN AA

6. Convey to the prospect that the objectives of AA are to provide the ways and means for an alcoholic to regain his normal place in life. Desire, patience, faith, study and application are most important in determining each individual's plan of action in gaining full benefits of AA

INTRODUCE FAITH

7. Since the belief of a Power greater than oneself is the heart of the AA plan, and since this idea is very often difficult for a new man, the sponsor should attempt to introduce the beginnings of an understanding of this all-important feature.

Frequently this can be done by the sponsor relating his own difficulty in grasping a spiritual understanding and the methods he used to overcome his difficulties.

LISTEN TO HIS STORY

8. While talking to the newcomer, take time to listen and study his reactions in order that you can present your information in a more effective manner. Let him talk too. Remember...Easy Does It.

TAKE TO SEVERAL MEETINGS

9. To give the new member a broad and complete picture of AA, the sponsor should take him to various meetings within convenient distance of his home. Attending several meetings gives a new man a chance to select a group in which he will be most happy and comfortable, and it is extremely important to let the prospect make his own decision as to which group he will join. Impress upon him that he is always welcome at any meeting and can change his home group if he so wishes.

EXPLAIN AA TO PROSPECT'S FAMILY

10. A successful sponsor takes pains and makes any required effort to make certain that those people closest and with the greatest interest in their prospect (mother, father, wife, etc.) are fully informed of A.A., its principles and its objectives. The sponsor sees that these people are invited to meetings, and keeps them in touch with the current situation regarding the prospect at all times.

HELP PROSPECT ANTICIPATE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

11. A prospect will gain more benefit from a hospitalization period if the sponsor describes the experience and helps him anticipate it, paving the way for those members who will call on him.

CONSULT OLDER MEMBERS IN AA

These suggestions for sponsoring a new man in AA teachings are by no means complete. They are intended only for a framework and general guide. Each individual case is different and should be treated as such. Additional information for sponsoring a new man can be obtained from the experience of older men in the work. A co-sponsor, with an experienced and newer member working on a prospect, has proven very satisfactory. Before undertaking the responsibility of sponsoring, a member should make certain that he is able and prepared to give the time, effort, and thought such an obligation entails. It might be that he will want to select a co-sponsor to share the responsibility, or he might feel it necessary to ask another to assume the responsibility for the man he has located.

OA EIGHT TOOLS OF RECOVERY

The primary purpose of Overeaters Anonymous is "...to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer." The tools help us to recover on all three levels - physical, emotional, and spiritual. The following tools are used to enhance our program of recovery through working the twelve steps of OA.

1. PLAN OF EATING: Overeaters Anonymous does not endorse any specific plan of eating. Some members refrain from certain foods, some eat all foods more moderately. Only you, with proper guidance, can honestly appraise your own eating habits.
   


2. SPONSORSHIP: Sponsors are OA members who are practicing the twelve steps and twelve traditions to the best of their ability. They are willing to share their recovery with other fellowship members. It is to your advantage to find someone you want to help you, and say "Would you be my sponsor?" The sooner you start working with someone, the better you will work the program.
   


3. MEETINGS: Meetings are gatherings of two or more compulsive overeaters who come together to share their personal experience, strength and hope. At meetings you will find the love and acceptance that is the core of the OA program. Try to attend as many meetings as possible to soak up the myriad of stories dealing with recovery.
   


4. PHONE CALLS: The telephone enables us to share on a one-to-one basis; it alleviates the isolation so common among us. Many members call fellow compulsive overeaters and their sponsors daily. Take numbers from the sign-in sheet passed around at the meetings.
   


5. WRITING: In addition to making an inventory and listing the people we have harmed, most of us have found writing an indispensable tool for working the steps. Putting our thoughts and feelings down on paper helps us to better understand our actions and reactions to life.
   


6. LITERATURE: We study and read OA literature including: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, For Today, Overeaters Anonymous, and Lifeline, our monthly Journal of Recovery. We also study our primary text, the book Alcoholics Anonymous, referred to as the Big Book, and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous to understand and reinforce our program.
   


7. ANONYMITY: Anonymity, referred to in Traditions Eleven and Twelve, is a tool that guarantees that we place principles before personalities. We are equal in the fellowship, whether newcomer or seasoned old-timer, our outside status makes no difference in OA.
   


8. SERVICE: Carrying the message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers is the basic purpose of our fellowship and therefore the most fundamental form of service. Any service, no matter how small, that helps to reach out to a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own program. Find something you can do for the group, such as setting up or putting away chairs, or cleaning up the trash after the meeting. It will help you and it will help us. Service is its own reward!

Strong Meeting Checklist

The Strong Meeting Checklist is part of OA’s 2008–2013 Strategic Plan. It is not enough to make the public aware that OA exists and can be a solution to compulsive eating; meetings have to be strong and must function effectively for people to "stay for the miracle" and for OA to continue to grow and be there for those who need it in the future. Consider doing an inventory of your OA meeting using the checklist.


1. Does the meeting start and end on time?

2. Are all attending, including newcomers, greeted and made to feel welcome and accepted?

3. Does the meeting focus on OA recovery through the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions?

4. Do we offer our own experience, strength and hope, sharing the solution we have found?

5. Is the group contributing financially to all levels of OA service as per our Seventh Tradition?

6. Are sponsors available and identified at the meeting?

7. Does the group practice anonymity by reminding members not to repeat who is seen or what personal sharing is heard at a meeting?

8. Does the group follow a meeting format?

9. Is only OA-approved literature on display and for sale?

10. Are group conscience meetings held regularly?

11. Are all service positions filled, and is rotation of service practiced?

12. Is the meeting information readily available and the WSO informed of all meeting details and changes so that newcomers and visitors can find our meeting?

13. Are cross talk and advice-giving avoided?

About OA

What is OA?

Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively.

There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues.

Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer.

Who belongs to OA?

In Overeaters Anonymous, you’ll find members who are extremely overweight, even morbidly obese; moderately overweight; average weight; underweight; still maintaining periodic control over their eating behavior; or totally unable to control their compulsive eating.

OA members experience many different patterns of food behaviors. These “symptoms” are as varied as our membership. Among them are:

obsession with body weight, size and shape
eating binges or grazing
preoccupation with reducing diets
starving
laxative or diuretic abuse
excessive exercise
inducing vomiting after eating
chewing and spitting out food
use of diet pills, shots and other medical interventions to control weight
inability to stop eating certain foods after taking the first bite
fantasies about food
vulnerability to quick-weight-loss schemes
constant preoccupation with food
using food as a reward or comfort

Our symptoms may vary, but we share a common bond: we are powerless over food and our lives are unmanageable. This common problem has led those in OA to seek and find a common solution in the Twelve Steps, the Twelve Traditions and eight tools of Overeaters Anonymous.

How do OA members lose weight and maintain a healthy weight?

The concept of abstinence is the basis of OA’s program of recovery. By admitting inability to control compulsive eating in the past and abandoning the idea that all one needs is “a little willpower,” it becomes possible to abstain from overeating—one day at a time.

While a diet can help us lose weight, it often intensifies the compulsion to overeat. The solution offered by OA does not include diet tips. We don’t furnish diets, counseling services, hospitalization or treatment; nor does OA participate in or conduct research and training in the field of eating disorders. For weight loss, any medically approved eating plan is acceptable.

OA members interested in learning about nutrition or who seek professional advice are encouraged to consult qualified professionals. We may freely use such help, with the assurance that OA supports each of us in our efforts to recover.

What does OA offer?

We offer unconditional acceptance and support through readily available OA meetings, which are self-supported through voluntary contributions.

We in OA believe we have a threefold illness—physical, emotional and spiritual. Tens of thousands have found that OA’s Twelve-Step program effects recovery on all three levels.

The Twelve Steps embody a set of principles which, when followed, promote inner change. Sponsors help us understand and apply these principles. As old attitudes are discarded, we often find there is no longer a need for excess food.

Those of us who choose to recover one day at a time practice the Twelve Steps. In so doing, we achieve a new way of life and lasting freedom from our food obsession.

Why is OA anonymous?

Anonymity allows the Fellowship to govern itself through principles rather than personalities. Social and economic status have no relevance in OA; we are all compulsive eaters. Anonymity at the level of press, radio, television and other media of communication provides assurance that OA membership will not be disclosed.

How Is OA funded?

Overeaters Anonymous has no dues or fees for membership. It is entirely self-supporting through literature sales and member contributions. Most groups “pass the basket” at meetings to cover expenses. OA does not solicit or accept outside contributions.

Is OA a religious organization?

OA is not a religious society, since it requires no definite religious belief as a condition of membership. OA has among its membership people of many religious faiths as well as atheists and agnostics.

The OA recovery program is based on acceptance of certain spiritual values. Members are free to interpret these values as they think best, or not to think about them at all if they so choose.

Many individuals who come to OA have reservations about accepting any concept of a power greater than themselves. OA experience has shown that those who keep an open mind on this subject and continue coming to OA meetings will not find it too difficult to work out their own solution to this very personal matter.

Where can I find OA?

Go to Find a Meeting on this Web site and follow the instructions to find a meeting in your area. Or you can contact the World Service Office at (505) 891-2664 or email for further assistance. You can also look for Overeaters Anonymous in your local telephone directory and in your local newspaper’s social or community calendar section.

How did OA start?

The idea of OA came to cofounder Rozanne S. at a Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meeting she attended with a compulsive gambling friend in 1958. As GA members shared their stories, she heard her story—not of gambling, but of compulsive overeating. She knew then that the Twelve-Step and Twelve-Tradition program founded by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and modeled by GA offered her a chance to change her life and reduce her 152-pound body to a size that would fit her 5-foot-2-inch frame. Not until 1960, when her weight had increased to 161 pounds, could she find other people who shared her convictions.

Her chance meeting with a new neighbor, Jo S., gave Rozanne strength in numbers, even if it was only one person. Together they found another compulsive overeater, Bernice S., and convened the first OA meeting in Los Angeles, California, January 19, 1960.

Today, about 6,500 OA groups meet each week in over 75 countries. With OA divided into 10 regions worldwide and approximately 54,000 members worldwide, it helps thousands of compulsive eaters find new life in recovery.

(For more on OA’s history, read Beyond Our Wildest Dreams.)

What You Can Expect from OA

When you arrive at the meeting, you will find men and women who share a common malady—compulsive eating—and have found a common solution: the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous. You will see anywhere from three to 30 people at the meeting. An average meeting has about 10. You will be warmly welcomed.

The meeting usually opens with the Serenity Prayer, and you may hear a reading called "Our Invitation to You," which describes the disease of compulsive overeating and the Twelve-Step solution. Meeting formats may vary, but all OA groups are the same in that they seek recovery on three levels—physical, emotional and spiritual—through the Twelve Steps, and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

You may hear a speaker open the meeting and speak for 10 to 15 minutes about what life was like before OA, what happened, and what he or she is like now; or someone might read from OA or AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) literature. Other members will share their experience, strength and hope. You will have an opportunity to introduce yourself as a newcomer, if you like. You will find that you are not alone, that there is a way out of your desperation. Because anonymity is a critical principle of the OA program, you are assured that what you share will be held in confidence. This provides the safety you need to share your experiences honestly.

You may recognize your own story when you listen to others share. Listening will help you find others who have what you want, whether it be weight loss, clarity, joy or recovery from the obsession. You may want to ask someone to be your sponsor. A sponsor will help you work the Steps of the program to achieve the recovery you seek.

When members share, you may hear them refer to a Higher Power or to God. OA is not a religious program and does not subscribe to any specific religious ideology. It is a program that practices spiritual principles, and members individually approach these principles with a Higher Power of their understanding.

A list may be passed around for all to sign their names and phone numbers, so people can offer each other support between meetings. Someone from the meeting you attend may call you to answer any questions you may have about the program, and you will also have an opportunity to get phone numbers yourself to reach out for help. The telephone is an important tool in OA for getting and giving support and reminding you that you are not alone.

Meetings usually last between one and two hours, and they often include a break. During the break, feel free to ask questions and pick up some OA literature to help you learn about the program. By asking for help, you are taking an important step toward recovery.

Because OA is self-supporting through member contributions, a basket will be passed for donations.

You will notice that some members volunteer to help keep the meeting going, such as the group secretary, the treasurer and greeters. Members find that doing service in OA helps keep them from eating compulsively. Service is important to their recovery and allows them to give back to the Fellowship that has saved their lives. Service opportunities exist in all levels of the Fellowship, from making coffee and setting up chairs at a meeting to being on the Board of Trustees.

The meeting usually closes with a reading like the OA Promise, "I Put My Hand in Yours." If you find that the meeting you attended does not feel right, try a different group at another time and location. It is a good idea to attend at least six meetings before deciding on a meeting that is right for you.

What you WON'T find at OA meetings are weigh-ins, packaged meals, dues, fees, "shoulds," "musts" or judgment.

What you WILL find at meetings is:


Acceptance of you - as you are now, as you were, as you will be.

Understanding of the problems you now face - problems almost certainly shared by others in the group.

Communication that comes as the natural result of our mutual understanding and acceptance.

Recovery from your illness.

Power to enter a new way of life through the acceptance and understanding of yourself, the practice of the Twelve-Step recovery program, the belief in a power greater than yourself, and the support and companionship of the group.

If you decide that you are one of us, we welcome you with open arms. Whatever your circumstances, we offer you the gift of acceptance. You are not alone anymore. Welcome to Overeaters Anonymous. Welcome home!

Welcome Home

Have you ever wished you could lose 10 pounds, 20, 40, or 100 or more? Have you ever wished that once you got it off you could keep it off? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you sometimes felt out of step with the world, like a homeless orphan without a place where you really belonged? Welcome to OA; welcome home!
Have you ever wished your family would get to work or school so you could get busy eating? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever awakened first thing in the morning and felt happy because you remembered that your favorite goodie was waiting for you in the fridge or in the cupboard? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what an insignificant person like you was doing in the world anyway? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever cooked, bought or baked for your family and then eaten everything yourself so you wouldn't have to share? We in OA know you because we are you. Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever wanted to hide in the house, without going to work, without getting cleaned up or even getting dressed, without seeing anyone or letting anyone see you? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever hidden food under the bed, under the pillow, in the drawer, in the bathroom, in the wastebasket, in the cupboard, in the clothes hamper, in the closet or in the car so you could eat without anyone seeing you? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever been angry, resentful, defiant-against God, your mate, your doctor, your mother, your father, your friends, your children, the salesperson in the store whose look spoke a thousand words as you tried on clothes-because they were thin, because they wanted you to be thin, and because you were forced to diet to please them or shut them up or make them eat their words and their looks? We welcome you to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever sobbed out your misery in the dark night because no one loved or understood you? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever felt that God (if God existed) made the biggest mistake when God created you? Can you see that this is where such feelings get turned around? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever wanted to get on a bus and just keep going, without once looking back? Did you do it? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever thought the world was a mess, and if others would just think and act like you, the world would be a lot better off? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever thought that OA people must be a bit nuts? That they might be compulsive overeaters, but you just have a weight problem, which you can take care of beginning tomorrow; they might be one bite from insane eating, but you are just a little, or a lot, overweight? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever told anyone who would listen how great you are, how talented, how intelligent, how powerful-all the time knowing they would never believe it, because you didn't believe it? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever lost all your excess weight and found that you were thin-unhappy instead of fat-unhappy? Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Have you ever worn a mask or hundreds of masks because you were sure that if you shared the person you really were no one could ever love or accept you? We accept you in OA. May we offer you a home?

Overeaters Anonymous extends to all of you the gift of acceptance. No matter who you are, where you come from or where you are heading, you are welcome here!

No matter what you have done or failed to do, what you have felt or haven't felt, where you have slept, or with whom, whom you have loved or hated-you may be sure of our acceptance. We accept you as you are, not as you would be if you could melt yourself and mold yourself and shape yourself into what other people think you should be. Only you can decide what you want to be.

But we will help you work for the goals you set, and when you are successful we will rejoice with you; and when you slip, we will tell you that we are not failures just because we sometimes fail, and we'll hold out our arms, in love, and stand beside you as you pull yourself back up and walk on again to where you are heading! You'll never have to cry alone again, unless you choose to.

Sometimes we fail to be all that we should be, and sometimes we aren't there to give you all you need from us. Accept our imperfection, too. Love us in return and help us in our sometimes-falling failing. That's what we are in OA-imperfect, but trying. Let's rejoice together in our effort and in the assurance that we can have a home, if we want one.

Welcome to OA; welcome home!

Lifeline magazine. November 2003. Edited and reprinted from Lifeline Sampler,
p. 173

About the 12 Steps

The Twelve Steps are the heart of the OA recovery program. They offer a new way of life that enables the compulsive eater to live without the need for excess food. The ideas expressed in the Twelve Steps, which originated in Alcoholics Anonymous, reflect practical experience and application of spiritual insights recorded by thinkers throughout the ages. Their greatest importance lies in the fact that they work! They enable compulsive eaters and millions of others to lead happy, productive lives. They represent the foundation upon which OA is built.

The Twelve Steps

1. We admitted we were powerless over food — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We’re entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Permission to use the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.

Questions and Answers

How does an individual join OA?
No one “joins” OA in the usual sense of the word. There are no membership applications to be filled out. Once we have heard about OA and believe we have an eating problem, we simply attend local OA meetings of our choice. Anyone who says he/she is a member of OA is a member.

What are the requirements for membership?
Our Third Tradition states, “The only requirement or OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.” Nothing else is asked or demanded of anyone.

How much does OA membership cost?
There are no financial requirements to be a member of OA. This recovery program is available to all who want to stop eating compulsively, no matter how much or how little money they may possess. We are self-supporting through members’ voluntary contributions and literature sales.

Is OA a religious society?
No. OA is not a religious society, since it requires no religious belief as a condition of membership. OA has among its membership people of many religious faiths as well as atheists and agnostics. OA is, however, a spiritual program based on each member’s personal interpretation of a higher power.

© 2010 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is OA for You?

Only you can decide that question. No one else can make this decision for you. We who are now in OA have found a way of life which enables us to live without the need for excess food. We believe that compulsive overeating is a progressive illness, one that, like alcoholism and some other illnesses, can be arrested. Remember, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem; the most important thing is to do something about it.

What is OA?

Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer.

Are You a Compulsive Overeater?

This series of questions may help you determine if you are a compulsive overeater.

1. Do you eat when you're not hungry?
   


2. Do you go on eating binges for no apparent reason?
   


3. Do you have feelings of guilt and remorse after overeating?
   


4. Do you give too much time and thought to food?
   


5. Do you look forward with pleasure and anticipation to the time when you can eat alone?
   


6. Do you plan these secret binges ahead of time?
   


7. Do you eat sensibly before others and make up for it alone?
   


8. Is your weight affecting the way you live your life?
   


9. Have you tried to diet for a week (or longer), only to fall short of your goal?
   


10. Do you resent others telling you to "use a little willpower" to stop overeating?
    


11. Despite evidence to the contrary, have you continued to assert that you can diet "on your own" whenever you wish?
    


12. Do you crave to eat at a definite time, day or night, other than mealtime?
    


13. Do you eat to escape from worries or trouble?
    


14. Have you ever been treated for obesity or a food-related condition?
    


15. Does your eating behavior make you or others unhappy?
    

Have you answered yes to three or more of these questions? If so, it is probable that you have or are well on your way to having a compulsive overeating problem. We have found that the way to arrest this progressive disease is to practice the Twelve-Step recovery program of Overeaters Anonymous.

Suggested Format for a Group Conscience Meeting

1. Introduction

“Welcome to the group conscience meeting of the _______________ group of Overeaters Anonymous.
My name is _________________, and I am a compulsive overeater and the chairperson of this meeting.”

2. Serenity Prayer

“Will those who wish to, please join me in the Serenity Prayer:
‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and
wisdom to know the difference.’”

3. Reading of the Steps, Traditions and Concepts if appropriate.

4. Establishing Ground Rules

“The purpose of this meeting is to make decisions that affect our group. I encourage everyone here to participate.
If a matter comes to a vote and you do not attend our meeting regularly or do not plan to, please consider whether it would be reasonable for you to vote. However, we welcome everyone’s viewpoint; we can all learn from one another.

“Please remember Tradition Five: ‘Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the
compulsive overeater who still suffers.’ Therefore, anything we decide at this meeting must reflect that purpose. No matter what we believe as individuals, we must be united in our purpose to carry our message as best we can to the compulsive overeater who still suffers. That person is our focus. May we do our best for him or her.”

5. Minutes from Previous Meeting

“Are there minutes from our last meeting?”
Secretary reads minutes, if available, or distributes copies.

“Any corrections or additions?”
Applicable corrections or additions are made.


6. Setting Up the Agenda

[At this point, the chair presents the agenda and asks for additions or amendments. The agenda often results from discussions at previous meetings, or people at the current meeting may make suggestions. The chair should make certain that the agenda is clear, in a logical sequence and agreeable to those attending the group conscience meeting. The attendees address each item on the agenda.]


7. Making Decisions

[Some agenda items may require collecting information before the meeting; e.g., if one item is “should the meeting start half an hour earlier,” it would be important to check if the room is available half an hour earlier. Depending on the nature of the issue, decisions can be made in different ways. The issue might not be controversial at all. It might be supported or opposed by most people in the group, but vehemently opposed or supported by a minority. It might have the support of only slightly more or less than half the group. Each of these possibilities can require a different approach.]

To determine how to handle the issue, the chair might begin with a general statement, such as:

“The issue here is whether or not this group should change its meeting format to have a Traditions meeting on the last Monday of the month. Does anyone feel strongly one way or the other? Let’s go around the room and have people indicate how they feel, what they think would be best for the group, and why they think this would be helpful to the group.” (or “Let’s have a quick vote. Those who like the proposal, please raise your hands. Now, those who don’t like the proposal, please raise your hands.”)


General Consensus

If it becomes clear that the members generally share the same opinion, the chair can say something like the following:

“It seems that we may have reached a consensus. Let’s make certain. Does anyone oppose (or support) this proposal?”

If no hands are raised, the chair may say:

“Let’s go on to other business. Would our secretary please record that we reached a consensus to have (or not have) a Traditions meeting on the last Monday of the month.”

Some Support or Opposition

If it is apparent that some feel strongly for or against the proposal, the chair may say something like the following:

“It is clear that at least some members feel strongly that this proposal should (not) go forward. We in OA try to find a consensus, so it is important that we hear all points of view. Often those who disagree with the majority can best educate us by explaining the reasons for the views they hold. Let us remember that whatever decision we make can always be changed if our experience suggests it isn’t working. Let us have two people who support the proposal and two who oppose it speak for two (or three or five) minutes each , alternating one for and one against, followed by another vote.”

Clear Result from the Vote

If the results of the vote are clear—very few members either oppose or support the proposal—then the chair may say something like:

“It appears that this proposal has (or does not have) the support of the majority of the group. Accordingly, would our secretary please record that we reached a group conscience on _______________.”

A Large Minority

If the vote doesn’t show a clear consensus, in the interests of developing a true group conscience, the chair should try to work toward a greater consensus in the following suggested manner:

“Concept Twelve (d) says, ‘all important decisions shall be reached by discussion, by vote and, whenever possible, by substantial unanimity.’ In my opinion, we have not reached substantial unanimity. A large number of members present oppose (or support) this proposal, and to go with the majority would not achieve unanimity.

Does anyone have an idea of how to develop our informed group conscience in this situation?”


Here are some ideas that different groups have used to develop a group conscience:

• Ask for suggestions, changes or amendments to the proposal that might address some of the reasons it has not found substantial unanimity. Perhaps those in the minority who are opposed to the proposal largely support it but disagree with one or two parts. Amending those parts could result in substantial unanimity.

• Appoint a committee of two, four or six members, evenly divided on the issue, to discuss it and make recommendations to the group.

• Try the proposal for a limited time and monitor its effectiveness. Schedule a group conscience meeting for one to six months in the future to decide whether to continue using it.

• Hold the proposal until the next group conscience meeting, and announce at each OA group meeting that it did not achieve substantial unanimity and that it is important for all regularly attending members to be at the next group conscience meeting to discuss the proposal fully.


8. Closing

“Is there any further business to conduct? Does anyone want to raise an issue for a future meeting?”

“Thank you for coming. To close the meeting, let us have a moment of silence followed by
_____________________ [a closing of your choice].”

Twelve Traditions

The Twelve Traditions are the means by which OA remains unified in a common cause. These Twelve Traditions are to the groups what the Twelve Steps are to the individual. They are suggested principles to ensure the survival and growth of the many groups that compose Overeaters Anonymous.

Like the Twelve Steps, the Twelve Traditions have their origins in Alcoholics Anonymous. These Traditions describe attitudes which those early members believed were important to group survival.

The Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon OA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.
6. An OA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the OA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. OA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Permission to use the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.

For an in-depth study of the Twelve Traditions, read The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous available from our online literature catalog.

Twelve Steps

The Twelve Steps are the heart of the OA recovery program. They offer a new way of life that enables the compulsive eater to live without the need for excess food.

The ideas expressed in the Twelve Steps, which originated in Alcoholics Anonymous, reflect practical experience and application of spiritual insights recorded by thinkers throughout the ages. Their greatest importance lies in the fact that they work! They enable compulsive eaters and millions of other Twelve-Steppers to lead happy, productive lives. They represent the foundation upon which OA is built.

The Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous

1. We admitted we were powerless over food — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Permission to use the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.

For an in-depth study of the Twelve Steps, read The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, available from our online literature catalog.

Twelve Concepts

In Overeaters Anonymous, the Twelve Steps serve as the spiritual principles that support our personal recovery from compulsive overeating. The Twelve Traditions aid us, individually and collectively, in maintaining unity of purpose within the Fellowship. The Twelve Concepts of OA Service, adopted by the World Service Business Conference (WSBC) in 1994, help us apply the Steps and Traditions in our service work, which is an important part of the OA program. The Concepts define and guide the practices of the service structures that conduct the business of OA.

These Concepts depict the chain of delegated responsibility we use to provide service throughout the world. Although they focus on OA world services, the Concepts direct all OA’s trusted servants to well-considered actions for group participation, decision making, voting and the expression of minority opinions. The Twelve Concepts support our primary purpose of carrying OA’s message of recovery to the still-suffering compulsive overeater.

The Twelve Concepts of OA Service

Concept One
Unity: The ultimate responsibility and authority for OA world services reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.

Concept Two
Conscience: The OA groups have delegated to the World Service Business Conference the active maintenance of our world services; thus, the World Service Business Conference is the voice, authority and effective conscience of OA as a whole.

Concept Three
Trust: The right of decision, based on trust, makes effective leadership possible.

Concept Four
Equality: The right of participation ensures equality of opportunity for all in the decision-making process.

Concept Five
Consideration: Individuals have the right of appeal and petition in order to ensure that their opinions and personal grievances will be carefully considered.

Concept Six
Responsibility: The World Service Business Conference has entrusted the Board of Trustees with the primary responsibility for the administration of Overeaters Anonymous.

Concept Seven
Balance: The Board of Trustees has legal rights and responsibilities accorded to them by OA Bylaws, Subpart A; the rights and responsibilities of the World Service Business Conference are accorded to it by Tradition and by OA Bylaws, Subpart B.

Concept Eight
Delegation: The Board of Trustees has delegated to its Executive Committee the responsibility to administer the OA World Service Office.

Concept Nine
Ability: Able, trusted servants, together with sound and appropriate methods of choosing them, are indispensable for effective functioning at all service levels.

Concept Ten
Clarity: Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority; therefore, duplication of efforts is avoided.

Concept Eleven
Humility: Trustee administration of the World Service Office should always be assisted by the best standing committees, executives, staffs and consultants.

Concept Twelve
Guidelines: The spiritual foundation for OA service ensures that:

Selflessness
(a) No OA committee or service body shall ever become the seat of perilous wealth or power;

Realism
(b) Sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, shall be OA’s prudent financial principle;

Representation
(c) No OA member shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority;

Dialogue
(d) All important decisions shall be reached by discussion, vote and, whenever possible, by substantial unanimity;

Compassion
(e) No service action shall ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; and

Respect
(f) No OA service committee or service board shall ever perform acts of government, and each shall always remain democratic in thought and action.

For more information about the Twelve Concepts, read the pamphlet The Twelve Concepts of OA Service, available from OA's online catalog.

Is OA For You?

Are You a Compulsive Overeater?

This series of questions may help you determine if you are a compulsive eater.

1. Do you eat when you’re not hungry?
2. Do you go on eating binges for no apparent reason?
3. Do you have feelings of guilt and remorse after overeating?
4. Do you give too much time and thought to food?
5. Do you look forward with pleasure and anticipation to the time when you can eat alone?
6. Do you plan these secret binges ahead of time?
7. Do you eat sensibly before others and make up for it alone?
8. Is your weight affecting the way you live your life?
9. Have you tried to diet for a week (or longer), only to fall short of your goal?
10. Do you resent others telling you to “use a little willpower” to stop overeating?
11. Despite evidence to the contrary, have you continued to assert that you can diet “on your own” whenever you wish?
12. Do you crave to eat at a definite time, day or night, other than mealtime?
13. Do you eat to escape from worries or trouble?
14. Have you ever been treated for obesity or a food-related condition?
15. Does your eating behavior make you or others unhappy?

Have you answered yes to three or more of these questions?

If so, it is probable that you have or are well on your way to having a compulsive eating problem. We have found that the way to arrest this progressive disease is to practice the Twelve-Step recovery program of Overeaters Anonymous. Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer.

Is OA for You?

Only you can decide that question. No one else can make this decision for you. We who are now in OA have found a way of life which enables us to live without the need for excess food. We believe that compulsive eating is a progressive illness, one that, like alcoholism and some other illnesses, can be arrested. Remember, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem; the most important thing is to do something about it.

Check out OA's website here!

Daily Meditation

I may indeed be very busy, but I won’t have a life if I don’t put my program first.

A New Beginning (p. 14)

ORIGINAL THIRD STEP PRAYER as Used by DR. BOB

Dear God,

I'm sorry about the mess I've made of my life. I want to turn away
from all the wrong things I've ever done and all the wrong things
I've ever been.

Please forgive me for it all. I know You have the power to change my
life and can turn me into a winner.

Thank You, God for getting my attention long enough to interest me in
trying it Your way.

God, please take over the management of my life and everything about
me. I am making this conscious decision to turn my will and my life
over to Your care and am asking You to please take over all parts of
my life.

Please, God, move into my heart. How ever You do it is Your business,
but make Yourself real inside me and fill my awful emptiness. Fill me
with your love and Holy Spirit and make me know Your will for me.
And now, God, help Yourself to me and keep on doing it. I'm not sure
I want You to, but do it anyhow.

I rejoice that I am now a part of Your people, that my uncertainty is
gone forever, and that You now have control of my will and my life.

Thank You and praise Your name.
Amen.

THE PROMISES

The Promises, that are read in many A.A. Meetings can be found on page 83-84, of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

THE A.A. PROMISES

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and selfpity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.