MEETINGS

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Meetings are gatherings of two or more compulsive eaters who come together to share their personal experience and the strength and hope OA has given them. Though there are many types of meetings, fellowship with other compulsive eaters is the basis of them all. 

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What you will find at OA 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.

  • Recovery from your illness.

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

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What you won’t find at OA meetings are:

  • Weigh-ins

  • Packaged meals

  • Dues

  • Fees

  • “Shoulds”

  • “Musts”

  • Judgment

 

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!

 

According to the Traditions, bylaws and policies of OA, the only requirement for OA membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively. We ask each person attending to respect the meeting’s group conscience. All registered meetings welcome and give a voice to any person who has the desire to stop eating compulsively.

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Meeting Definitions

  • Open Meeting: Open to OA members and non-OA visitors. All meetings are considered open unless otherwise indicated.

  • Closed Meeting: Open to anyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively or anyone who thinks they may have a problem with compulsive overeating, this includes newcomers.

  • Special Focus Meetings (gay and lesbian, women’s, 100-pounders, maintainers, anorexic/bulimic, etc.) are composed of individuals who feel they can more readily identify with fellow OAers with similar attributes.

  • Special Topic Meetings (Big Book Study, Lifeline, Speaker, Newcomer, etc.) have a defined topic of discussion.

       

        (NOTE: Not all meetings have a Special Focus or Special Topic.)​