Press Releases
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF HELPING PEOPLE FIND STRENGTH AND RECOVERY THROUGH HOPE AND A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT
Golden Anniversary Marks Half a Century of Service
For Immediate Release.
Date: January 25, 2010
Contact: Annemarie Ciepiela Henton, (505) 260-3358, media@oa.org
(RIO RANCHO, N.M.) – In 1960, three women with a common plight gathered in a home in California to share their experiences and create a group for support, strength and hope as they overcame their compulsive eating addictions. That small meeting inspired the Fellowship of what is now known as Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. (OA), a non-profit organization with the goal of supporting its members as they seek recovery from compulsive eating behaviors. 50 years later, OA serves approximately 54,000 members in 75 countries. This year OA is proud to celebrate its golden anniversary and half a century of global service.
“We’re proud of how far OA has come in the last fifty years and the thousands of people who have found recovery and fulfillment because of it,” said Naomi Lippel, OA’s Managing Director. “We look forward to increasing public awareness and providing hope and resources to those who continue to suffer from this disease.”
Every year, a 16-member Board of Trustees (BOT) and 200 delegates from around the world work together to evaluate and develop OA at the Annual World Service Business Conference. The 2010 conference will be held April 26 – May 1 at Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This year’s theme is “Half a Century = One World of Growth” in recognition of OA’s anniversary.
This summer, OA will continue its anniversary celebration at its triennial international convention, to be held August 26-29 in Los Angeles, California, OA’s birthplace. The theme is “Now Playing: 50 years of OA Recovery.” The event is open to all those who have found, or seek to find, recovery from compulsive eating through OA’s Twelve-Step program.
For more information about OA, OA’s anniversary and upcoming conferences or to be put in contact with an OA representative, member, or health professional, please call Annemarie Ciepiela Henton at (505) 260-3358 or email her at media@oa.org.
About Overeaters Anonymous: Founded in 1960, Overeaters Anonymous held its first meeting in Los Angeles, California. Now 50 years later, OA is a worldwide Fellowship that has found a solution to the problems arising from overeating. There are more than 6,500 meeting groups in approximately 75 countries. It is not a religious organization and does not promote any particular diet. For more information, go to http://www.oa.org/.
OA Celebrates 50 Years Press Release
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NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR INDIVIDUALS BATTLING FOOD ADDICTIONS
Overeaters Anonymous’ 12-Step Program Offers Hope and a Community for Support
For Immediate Release.
Date: December 29, 2009
Contact: Annemarie Ciepiela Henton, (505) 260-3358, media@oa.org
(RIO RANCHO, N.M.) - As the holiday season comes to a close, New Year’s resolutions abound as we all vow to finally lose the weight, be more active and be a little happier. For individuals battling compulsive eating, a New Year’s resolution may mean vowing to overcome this powerful and often misunderstood addiction to food.
There is help. For individuals struggling with various issues with food, Overeaters Anonymous (OA) can provide much-needed guidance and support. OA offers a 12-step program that addresses emotional, physical and spiritual well-being as a path to recovery. OA’s members are given the tools to seek and find recovery from compulsive eating behaviors.
**When planning your 2010 New Year’s editorials and articles about food addiction, eating disorders and health, please consider incorporating the OA program.** Staff and OA members from around the world are available to discuss their personal stories of recovery and can provide a national or local perspective, depending on your story needs. OA honors its members’ anonymity within its organization and in the media. Health care professionals are also available upon request to offer insight on food addictions and to share their professional opinions on the OA program.
For more information or to be put in contact with an OA representative, please call Annemarie Ciepiela Henton at (505) 260-3358 or email her at media@oa.org.
About Overeaters Anonymous: Founded in 1960, Overeaters Anonymous held its first meeting in Los Angeles, California. Now 49 years later, OA is a worldwide Fellowship that has found a solution to the problems arising from overeating. There are more than 6,500 meeting groups in approximately 75 countries. It is not a religious organization and does not promote any particular diet. For more information, go to http://www.oa.org/.
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Overeaters Anonymous Offers Support, Hope and
Strength in Numbers
12-Step Program Helps to Provide Recovery from Compulsive Eating
For immediate release.
Contact: Email Annemarie Ciepiela Henton, or call (505) 266-7220
(RIO RANCHO, N.M.) — Fear, loneliness, hopelessness, and embarrassment are some of the many feelings experienced by people suffering from compulsive eating. These feelings can be hard or almost impossible to overcome alone, but Overeaters Anonymous (OA), a 12-step program, helps members throughout the world deal with these issues.
Members of OA range from the morbidly obese to the anorexic. These individuals experience many different symptoms, and have various difficulties with food. But what they have in common is the admission that they were powerless over food and their lives had become unmanageable as a result.
OA members work together to recover from compulsive eating. Participants work through the 12-step program with a sponsor. Weekly meetings offer group support and welcome anyone who might be in need of help. OA also offers podcasts, a magazine, online and phone meetings, literature, and email sponsors to keep members on track with their program.
OA members maintain anonymity, which enables the group to offer unconditional acceptance and support for all. The organization is completely self-supporting through member donations and literature sales, and does not charge membership fees or dues. Although OA offers many types of support, it is not a source for diet tips, counseling, hospitalization, treatment, research or training. OA’s primary goal is to help members abstain from compulsive eating, and to carry the message of recovery to those who still suffer.
For more information or to be put in contact with an OA representative, please email Annemarie Ciepiela Henton or call her at (505) 266-7220.
About Overeaters Anonymous: Founded in 1960, Overeaters Anonymous held its first meeting in Los Angeles, California. Now 49 years later, OA is a worldwide Fellowship that has found a solution to the problems arising from overeating. There are more than 6,500 meeting groups in approximately 75 countries. It is not a religious organization and does not promote any particular diet. For more information, go to www.oa.org.
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