What is OA?

Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who have a common problem: compulsive eating and/or compulsive food behaviors. We join together to share experience, strength and hope with one another to solve this problem and to help other compulsive overeaters do the same. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating and/or behaving compulsively. There are no dues or fees for OA membership. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. Our goal is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors one day at a time. We do this through regular contact with other OA members, attending OA meetings, and by following the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous. (Taken from the pamphlet “Introducing OA to Healthcare Professionals”)

- 80 = Countries with OA
- 6,400 = Meetings worldwide
- 54,000 = Active Members
- 60% = Members struggling with food before the age of 16
- 73% = Members who have lost weight
- 45 pounds = Average reported weight loss
- 54% = Members maintaining a healthy weight
- 45% = Members maintaining a healthy weight for more than five years
- 80% = Members reporting various overall life improvements since joining the fellowship