Are You a Compulsive Overeater?
- Do you eat when you're not hungry?
- Do you go on eating binges for no apparent reason?
- Do you have feelings of guilt and remorse after overeating?
- Do you give too much time and thought to food?
- Do you look forward with pleasure and anticipation to the time when you can eat alone?
- Do you plan these secret binges ahead of time?
- Do you eat sensibly before others and make up for it alone?
- Is your weight affecting the way you live your life?
- Have you tried to diet for a week (or longer), only to fall short of your goal?
- Do you resent others telling you to "use a little willpower" to stop overeating?
- Despite evidence to the contrary, have you continued to assert that you can diet "on your own" whenever you wish?
- Do you crave to eat at a definite time, day or night, other than mealtime?
- Do you eat to escape from worries or trouble?
- Have you ever been treated for obesity or a food-related condition?
- Does your eating behavior make you or others unhappy?
Have you answered yes to three
or more of these questions? If so, it is probable that you have or are well on your
way to having a compulsive overeating problem. We have found that the way to arrest
this progressive disease is to practice the Twelve Step recovery program of
Overeaters Anonymous.
(Reprinted with permission from the World Service
Organization of Overeaters Anonymous)
Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of
individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope,
are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone
who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees
for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions,
neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not
affiliated with any public or private organization, political
movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position
on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive
overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who
still suffer.
Is Overeaters Anonymous for You?
Only you can decide that question. No
one else can make this decision for you. We who are now in Overeaters Anonymous
have found a way of life which enables us to live without the
need for excess food. We believe that compulsive overeating is
a progressive illness, one that, like alcoholism and some other
illnesses, can be arrested. Remember, there is no shame in admitting
you have a problem; the most important thing is to do something
about it.
To read further on the disease of compulsive eating, please see
our
About OA page. |
