Frequently Asked Questions
The OA Program
What
is OA?
Information about OA.
How
can I lose weight?
Information about OA.
How
is OA different from commercial weight loss programs?
Information about OA.
What
is the format of an OA meeting?
Learn What You Can Expect from OA.
Is
OA affiliated with AA or any other anonymous fellowship or
medical group interested in obesity?
No. OA is not affiliated with any other organization or group. Our policy is "cooperation
but not affiliation." Over the years, Alcoholics Anonymous has given us invaluable
help and guidance, for which we are grateful. AA service offices at the local
level have been and continue to be especially helpful to our OA groups and
service persons.
If
I have friends or family members who need OA, will you send
them information?
To respect OA's principles of anonymity and "attraction rather than promotion," the
WSO cannot send material to anyone other than the person making the request.
You may, of course, share OA information and your personal experience in OA
with those you care about. Perhaps with your encouragement, they will choose
to find help through OA or through some other method.
How
does OA define abstinence and recovery?
The following policy statement on abstinence and recovery was adopted by the
delegates at WSBC 1988:
According to the dictionary, the word "abstain" means
to refrain from. Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action
of refraining from compulsive eating. Spiritual, emotional and
physical recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous
Twelve-Step program.
What
is the difference between an open group and a closed group?
The following policy statement defining open and closed groups was adopted
at WSBC 1982 and revised in 1989:
Open group is a group which is open to
anyone.
Closed group is a group that is open to
anyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively, or anyone who
thinks they may have a problem with compulsive overeating.
I'm
anorexic/bulimic. Will OA help me?
OA is a Twelve-Step recovery program primarily for the disorder of compulsive
overeating. OA welcomes anyone who has the desire to stop eating compulsively.
However, OA offers no literature targeting anorexia or bulimia. Many compulsive
overeaters have had periods of bulimia and/or anorexia as a part of the disease
of compulsive overeating. Find out more about Who belongs
to OA?
I'm
a teen. Will OA help me?
Some locations offer special meetings for young people. However, most young
members of OA attend regular OA meetings. Some literature items focus on young
people who are members of OA.
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Meetings
How
can I find a meeting?
Look in your local telephone directory under Overeaters Anonymous. Contact
the World Service Office by phone, mail, fax or email. Use OA's Web site for
meetings worldwide. Simply enter the name of the city or town in which
you'd like to find a meeting.
How
can I get more information about a meeting before attending?
Call the group's contact person. He or she can tell you what
to expect from the meeting, confirm the location, provide directions and
perhaps provide information about other meetings in the area.
How
can I start a new meeting?
An OA group as defined in the Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Bylaws is: two or
more persons meeting together to practice the Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters
Anonymous; all who have the desire to stop eating compulsively are welcome
in the group; no member is required to practice any actions in order to remain
a member or to have a voice (share at a meeting); as a group they have no affiliation
other than OA.
Purchase a New
Group Starter Kit from the WSO. Once a group has started,
it is very important that the meeting location, day and time
remain consistent and updated, and that at least one member
is at the meeting place every week for the meeting.
How
do we update our group's meeting information?
Meeting information is tracked at the World Service Office. The database of
meeting information is updated in the order in which changes are received by
the WSO. All changes to meeting information must be submitted using a Group
Registration/Change form.
Meeting
updates can be made from the Web site or can be mailed
to our group registration coordinator at the WSO.
If you have questions about your group's
information, you may contact the appropriate WSO
staff member.
Does
OA have online groups?
As of WSBC 2004, an online group will be registered with the World Service Office as long as the listed group complies with the Conference policy on online
meetings.
How
can I get a list of online groups?
Go to Online Meetings
What
is OA's policy regarding online meetings?
Go to Online Meetings
What if I can't get to regular
meetings? Can OA help me?
Yes. The WSO maintains a list of OA members who live in isolated areas where no OA meetings are held.
Being placed on the list means that other OA members traveling in your area will receive your name and contact
information upon request. Contact the WSO to have your name placed on the loner list or to receive the name of a loner
who would welcome your visit. For more information,
email lredman@oa.org or call the WSO at 505-891-2664. The Service by Mail/Email program helps OA members reach out to one another. Participating members correspond by mail or email to share recovery and to discuss working OA's Twelve-Step program of recovery with other OA members around the world.
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How Groups
What
is a HOW group?
Some OA members and groups choose to work their programs through OA-HOW. It
is considered a subgroup of OA by many, known for its adherence to food plans
and its disciplined sponsor/sponsoree approach. Whereas the OA program offers
only suggestions and allows for individual flexibility, the OA-HOW method usually
provides a set structure to follow. Both programs practice the Twelve Steps
for personal recovery, but the philosophy regarding abstinence is different
What
are the requirements for a HOW group?
The requirements for a HOW group are the same as for an OA group. Members meet
to practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA. All who have a desire
to stop eating compulsively are welcome in the group. No member is required
to practice any actions in order to remain a member or to have a voice (share
at a meeting). As a group, they have no affiliation other than OA. A group
may be formed by two or more persons meeting together as set forth in Article
IV, Section 1 of the OA Bylaws.
Are
HOW groups sanctioned by Overeaters Anonymous?
Yes. HOW groups must follow the Twelve Traditions and adhere to the bylaws
just as all OA groups. For more information, see Policy 1992a in the Business
Conference Policy Manual in the World
Service Business Conference Final Report
Can
you tell me where to find a HOW group in my area?
Due to the following policy adopted by delegates of the 1994 WSBC, the WSO
does not track the special focus of any meeting, including HOW focus meetings:
1994b:
The Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous
recognizes the existence of special focus meetings (i.e., gay
and lesbian meetings, women's meetings, men's meetings, 100-pounders,
maintainers, old timers, etc.) which have been formed of persons
who can more readily identify with fellow OAers with similar
attributes. According to the Traditions, bylaws and policies
of OA, the only requirement for membership is the desire to stop
eating compulsively. We ask each person attending a meeting to
respect and consider the group conscience. All registered meetings
shall welcome and give a voice to any person who has the desire
to stop eating compulsively.
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Service
When
can I give service?
You can give service right away. Carrying the message to the compulsive overeater
who still suffers is the basic purpose of our Fellowship; therefore, it is
the most fundamental form of service. Any form of service–no matter how
small–which helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own
recovery.
Getting to meetings, putting out chairs,
putting out literature and talking to newcomers are all ways
that any OA member can give service (adapted from Tools
of Recovery).
Ask your group, intergroup or region about
requirements for service
above the group level.
What
does a meeting's secretary do?
In most groups the secretary is the principal service volunteer for a stated
period of time. Many groups have found it best to select a secretary who is
actively working the Twelve Steps, is abstaining and has other group service
experience. Here is an abbreviated list of the typical duties of a group's
secretary:
The secretary is responsible for making
sure that the local intergroup, the region and the WSO know of
any changes to the meeting's location, day, time, contact or
intergroup affiliation. The secretary coordinates group activities
including opening and setting up the meeting place; conducting
necessary elections or appointing other group service positions;
and presiding over steering committee meetings. The secretary
makes announcements at meetings and ensures that others, such
as the intergroup rep, have time to report during the meeting.
In most groups the secretary keeps all the group's records, including
a file of OA birthdays, weekly sign-in sheets, lists of members
willing to sponsor, records of steering committee meetings and
mailings from the WSO (adapted from OA
Handbook for Members, Groups, Intergroups).
What
is the Service by Mail/Email program?
The Service by Mail/Email program is designed to help OA members reach one another.
Participating members correspond by mail or email to share recovery and to
discuss working OA's Twelve-Step program of recovery with other OA members
around the world. Participating members can find an OA pen pal or a sponsor
by mail or can sponsor another member by mail. Members who register in the
Service by Mail/Email program receive a list with other participants' names, addresses
and email addresses.
How
often is the Service by Mail/Email list updated?
The WSO provides an updated list three times per year. Each time the list is
released it includes the names of new members eager to participate, along with
the members who have been successfully using the Service by Mail/Email program throughout
the year.
How
do I join Service by Mail/Email? How can I get an OA pen pal?
Register online for the Service
by Mail/Email program or contact the WSO for
a registration form and more information.
What is a sponsor? How
do I get one?
Sponsors are OA members who are living the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
to the best of their ability. They are willing to share their recovery with
other members of the Fellowship and are committed to abstinence.
Find a sponsor who has what you want,
and ask that person how he or she is achieving it. A member may
work with more than one sponsor and may change sponsors at will
(adapted from Tools
of Recovery).
When
am I ready to sponsor?
Sponsoring can begin at any time. Simply sponsor up to the level of your experience,
sharing as much recovery as you have. It may be helpful to discuss sponsoring
with your own sponsor first, then begin sponsoring when you both feel it's
right. Ask your group to introduce you as a new sponsor, or identify yourself
as one. We have found that sponsors are most effective when refraining from
compulsive eating. Many of us believe clarity of mind comes with abstinence.
Having a sponsor is the best way to learn to be a sponsor; we are learn by
example. We also learn to sponsor by doing it (adapted from A
Guide for Sponsors).
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Intergroups and National/Language Service Boards
What
is an intergroup (IG)?
When several groups form in an area, they soon realize that they can better
perform certain together rather than separately. So the groups may form an
intergroup that is directly responsible to the groups it serves. Intergroups
spring from a need to provide service for a number of local groups and better
information about OA in a community (adapted from OA
Handbook for Members, Groups and Intergroups).
Typical services provided by an intergroup
are:
- Providing a central telephone number
for information about OA and the local meetings
- Publishing regular newsletters or bulletins
to keep groups informed about each other and upcoming OA events
- Coordinating speakers, public information
and contact with the professional community
- Maintaining a supply of OA literature
and OA and AA books
- Sending delegates to regional assemblies
and the World Service Business Conference
What
is a National/Language Service Board (N/LSB)?
National service boards are service bodies that provide support for groups
and intergroups outside the US and Canada, where the geographic scope within
a region and the distance from the World Service Office is vast.
NSBs run offices to deal with nationwide
mail; meeting lists; newsletters and events; public information;
and hospital, institution, professional and mililtary work. In
non-English-speaking countries, the NSBs are responsible for
producing OA literature in local languages. The NSB may also
send delegates to the World Service Business Conference.
In some cases, the NSB extends beyond
the geographic borders of countries and serves groups and intergroups
with a common language. In these cases, the NSB is usually called
a language service board (LSB). (adapted from OA
Handbook for Members, Groups and Intergroups)
How
can I find out the geographic area served by an intergroup?
Contact WSO. Search
for meeting information
online, and click on "Intergroup Information." Or download the WSO's Monthly Intergroup Report.
Where
can we get information to help improve our group or intergroup? You
can contact your regional trustee by emailing
the WSO. We will forward your inquiry to the appropriate
trustee. Please be certain to specify which region you are
in or where you live.
Use current materials available from the
WSO. Good sources of information are:
OA
Handbook for Members, Groups and Intergroups.
Public
Information Service Manual
HIPM
Service Manual
OA
Guidelines
Sample
Intergroup Bylaws
OA,
Inc. Bylaws, Subpart A
OA, Inc. Bylaws, Subpart B
Continuing
Effects Policy Motions from World Service Business Conference
Suggested
Meeting Format
Service
and Traditions Workshop Manual
Twelfth-Step-Within
Handbook
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