What is OA you may ask? Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a self supporting global fellowship. Many of our members have experienced long term recovery, from: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, overeating, over exercising, emotional eating and freedom from food and body obsession. Using the 12-step recovery program, OA members support each other in, often breaking the isolation associated with compulsive food behaviors.
Overeaters Anonymous is a Twelve-Step program founded in 1960 by Rozanne S. Our 12 Steps & Twelve Traditions were adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous and are used with permission by AA World Services Inc. We are a world wide Fellowship Many have found long term recovery and have found a new way of living in the 12 Steps. We believe our problem is three-fold; body, mind and spirit. This is a program that really works!
OA has since grown and is World-wide. OA’s World Service Office, is located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It is estimated membership is over 60,000 people in about 6,500 groups/meetings in over 75 countries.
OA develops its own literature for those who eat compulsively and also uses Alcoholics Anonymous Literature.
The First Step of OA begins with the admission of powerlessness over food; the next eleven steps are intended to bring members “physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.”. Many compulsive Overeaters have found recovery in following this simple program.
To learn how OA functions, we begin to take a look at it’s service structure.
To have a world-wide fellowship, it certainly needs a structure to be able to operate. The Virtual Region is a part of that structure.
-Tradition 9
Overeaters Anonymous is not organized, as in someone being in charge. We feel our Higher Power is the ultimate authority. We do have leaders. “Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.” – Tradition 2.
So our Service structure is reflective of this fact.
In OA there is a service structure, sometimes called the “inverted triangle”.
The image above shows OA’s “inverted triangle and how you as a member of OA and Virtual Region fits in to that structure.
OA’s Inverted Triangle Explained……. (read more)
The Virtual Region of Overeaters Anonymous #09911 is a registered Region of Overeaters Anonymous. It is a fellowship of many group members within the Virtual Region. Groups, intergroups & Service Bodies choose to affiliate with the Virtual Region. We work together to help carry the message to fellow compulsive eaters with various committees that do service.
“Each group has but one primary purpose–to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.” – Tradition 5.
The solution we have found to all our problems, lie in the 12 Steps of OA.
The Virtual Region’s Strategic Vision/Mission can be found here
You will find how the Virtual Region operates by looking at our Bylaws and Policies & Procedures
We have 9 committees that are formed from members who do service above the group level, allowing the Virtual Region to fulfill our Strategic Vision