Overeaters Anonymous Popular Books
Overeaters Anonymous Biography & Facts
Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a twelve-step program founded in 1960 for people with problems related to food including, but not limited to, compulsive overeaters, those with binge eating disorder, bulimics and anorexics. Anyone with a problematic relationship with food is welcomed; OA's Third Tradition states that the only requirement for memberships is a desire to stop eating compulsively.OA was founded by Rozanne S. and two other women in January 1960. The organization's headquarters, or World Service Office, is located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Overeaters Anonymous estimates its membership at over 60,000 people in about 6,500 groups meeting in over 75 countries. OA has developed its own literature specifically for those who eat compulsively but also uses the Alcoholics Anonymous books Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. 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." Definitions OA defines compulsions as "any impulse or feeling of being irresistibly driven toward the performance of some irrational action." OA further defines compulsive overeating as a progressive, addictive illness. OA views compulsive overeating as a chronic condition and part of an attempt to alleviate psychological stress.Like other twelve-step programs, OA sees compulsive eating as a threefold illness, symbolically understanding human structure as having three dimensions: physical, mental and spiritual. Compulsive eating manifests itself in each dimension. A book describing itself as based on OA methods states that in the mental dimension a compulsive eater is not "eating down" feelings, but rather expressing an "inner hunger."To help potential members decide whether or not they need the program, OA provides a questionnaire, asking questions such as, "Do you give too much time and thought to food?" Answering "yes" to three or more of these questions is considered a good indication of problems with which OA may be able to assist. Abstinence in OA “Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight.” This concept of abstinence has been criticized for its lack of specificity. While in AA abstinence means not drinking alcohol, some argue that it is not possible to set out specific foods, because OA's experience is that different people have different food triggers (i.e. foods and food behaviors that cause them to eat compulsively). While it is often said that alcoholics don't have to drink, but compulsive eaters still have to eat, Overeaters Anonymous responds by pointing out that alcoholics do have to drink, but cannot drink alcohol, just as compulsive eaters do have to eat, but cannot eat foods which cause compulsive eating.OA literature specifically defines "compulsion" as follows: "By definition, 'compulsion' means 'an impulse or feeling of being irresistibly driven toward the performance of some irrational action.'" Therefore, "compulsive eating" and "compulsive food behaviors" (as those terms are used in OA's definition of abstinence) means irrational eating, or irrational food behaviors, taken as a result of an impulse or feeling that feels irresistible. So, according to Overeaters Anonymous, "abstinence" is the act of refraining from "compulsive eating" and "compulsive food behaviors," while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. While this definition can fairly be described as nuanced and subject to personal interpretation (e.g., the definition of a "healthy body weight"), or requiring self-searching analysis (e.g., to determine the drivers of certain behaviors), it is not unspecific. The objective of OA's definition of abstinence is that the compulsive eater refrain not from eating, but rather, from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors, and work towards or maintain a healthy body weight. Thus, OA calls for the compulsive eater to define his or her own plan of eating which enables the compulsive eater to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors, while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. The program suggests that members identify the foods that "trigger" overeating. Since individuals are responsible to define their own plan of eating, they are able to change their plan of eating if their needs and understanding of their compulsions change, without that change constituting a breach of abstinence. Members are encouraged to seek counsel with other individuals before making such changes, generally including a member or members of the OA fellowship, to validate that the reasons are sound and not unwittingly a decision based on underlying compulsion. Recovery tools and strategies The OA program is based on the twelve steps and twelve traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Small changes have been made to make these applicable to eating disorders, but such adaptation has been minimal. To take the twelve steps and practice the twelve traditions, OA program literature recommends using nine "Tools of Recovery." These are A Plan of Eating, Sponsorship, Meetings, the Telephone, Writing, Literature, an Action Plan, Anonymity and Service. These tools are considered critical to obtaining and maintaining abstinence.Meetings offer a consensual validation and serve to diminish feelings of guilt and shame. A sponsor provides guidance through the OA program and support where necessary, but gradually encourages autonomy in the sponsee. A sponsor strives to make his or her job obsolete. Food plans In Overeaters Anonymous, abstinence is "the action of refraining from compulsive eating while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight." According to OA, "by definition, 'compulsion' means 'an impulse or feeling of being irresistibly driven toward the performance of some irrational action.'" OA has a long and complex history with "food plans" and does not endorse or recommend any specific plan of eating, nor does it exclude the personal use of one. OA recommends that each member consult a qualified health care professional, such as a physician or dietitian. OA publishes a pamphlet, Dignity of Choice, which assists in the design of an individual food plan and also provides six sample plans of eating (reviewed and approved by a licensed dietitian) with which some OA members have had success.Individual OA meetings and sponsors may make more detailed suggestions. Some of these caution against foods containing excessive sugar, caffeine and white flour. A qualitative analysis of bulimics recovering in OA found bulimic OA members with excessively rigid plans are less likely to remain abstinent. The researchers conducting the analysis suggested that new members begin with a somewhat rigid plan which becomes increasingly flexible by the end of a year in the program.An individu.... Discover the Overeaters Anonymous popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Overeaters Anonymous books.
Best Seller Overeaters Anonymous Books of 2024
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A New Plan of Eating
Overeaters AnonymousA New Plan of Eating (#144) combines the structured plans of Dignity of Choice (#140) with the inspiration and compassion found in A Plan of Eating (#145),...
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Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters AnonymousThe third edition of Overeaters Anonymous, OA's Brown Book, includes forty neverbeforepublished, personal stories by recovering OA members from around the world; the founder's stor...
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A Lifetime of Abstinence
Overeaters AnonymousA Lifetime of Abstinence: One Day at a Time dives more deeply into the details of what abstinence looks like on a daily basis, combining and replacing the discontinued pamphlets A ...
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Addictive Thinking
Abraham J. TwerskiAuthor Abraham Twerski reveals how selfdeceptive thought can undermine selfesteem and threaten the sobriety of a recovering individuals and offers hope to those seeking a healthy a...
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Inner Harvest
Elisabeth L.Daily positive thoughts offer insight and ideas for meeting the challenges of ongoing recovery from eating disorders.Find strength and renewal in recovery from eating disorders wit...
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To the Young Person
Overeaters AnonymousTo the Young Person has been thoughtfully modernized to include allnew recovery storiesplus a classic testimonialsubmitted by young OA members, for young OA members. This pamphlet ...
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For Today
Overeaters AnonymousOffers inspiring and thoughtprovoking affirmations and readings for each day of the year, written especially for Overeaters Anonymous members and anyone seeking recovery from compu...
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A New Beginning
Overeaters AnonymousThese stories from Overeaters Anonymous' Lifeline magazine are full of experience, strength, inspiration and wisdom for compulsive eaters who are recovering from relapse.
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The Twelve Concepts of OA Service
Overeaters AnonymousThe Twelve Concepts of OA Service is an explanatory guide to our OA service principles. These Conceptsfrom the ideas of unity and trust to delegation and dialoguehelp OA members, g...
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The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous
Overeaters AnonymousOA’s keystone bookThe Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Editionis updated and improved, twentyeight years after its first publication. Created spec...
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The Overeaters Journal
Debbie DanowskiA guided journal to help overeaters get to the heart and soul of their eating patterns.As a 328pound woman, Debbie Danowski was on her way to an early death when she entered a trea...
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Seeking the Spiritual Path
Overeaters AnonymousWritten by OA members for OA members, these stories first appeared in Lifeline, OA's magazine of recovery. Wherever you are on your spiritual path, may you find encouragement ...
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Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual
Overeaters AnonymousThe Public Information Service Manual and the Professional Outreach Manual are now combined into the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual, with their best ex...
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Twelve Steps for Overeaters
Elisabeth L.The author of the popular Food for Thought daily meditation book takes a fresh, indepth look at the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous.Each chapter carefully examines and in...
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Food for Thought
Elisabeth L.Daily readings for compulsive overeaters who seek to understand the role of food in their lives, supporting a life of physical, emotional, and spiritual balance.Food for Thoug...
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Beyond Our Wildest Dreams
Overeaters AnonymousHow did Overeaters Anonymous begin? When was abstinence introduced? How did Lifeline magazine get its name? How was the OA logo developed? Discover answers to these questions and m...
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OA Handbook for Members, Groups, and Service Bodies
Overeaters AnonymousOffers suggestions on how to start an OA group and keep it going, along with important information about service at the group, intergroup, service board, region, and world service ...
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Taste of Lifeline
Overeaters AnonymousTaste of Lifeline, a collection of more than one hundred stories from the pages of Lifeline magazine, features personal accounts by OA members writing about their challenges and ho...
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Body Image, Relationships, and Sexuality
Overeaters AnonymousIn Body Image, Relationships, and Sexuality: Personal Journeys to Recovery in Overeaters Anonymous, OA members tell their stories of suffering, loss, and harmsharing how they regen...
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Lifeline Sampler
Overeaters AnonymousStories from Lifeline magazine cover such topics such as abstinent living, spiritual insights, Steps and Traditions, food and weight, slips and relapse, relationships in recovery a...
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Abstinence
Overeaters AnonymousOne of OA's most popular books has been expanded and updated with 50 percent new stories. This book is a collection of stories and essays on the topic of abstinence. All were writt...
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To the Man Who Wants to Stop Compulsive Overeating, Welcome
Overeaters AnonymousTo the Man provides encouragement to maleidentified OA members by compiling a series of personal recovery stories from men in OA.
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Twelve Step Workshop and Study Guide, Second Edition
Overeaters AnonymousSECOND EDITION. Everything you need to lead a journey through the Steps, including leader scripts, Fourth Step Inventory Worksheets, and handselected references from OAapproved lit...
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The Tools of Recovery
Overeaters AnonymousFind indispensable guidance on using the OA program’s nine Tools: a plan of eating, sponsorship, meetings, telephone, writing, literature, action plan, anonymity, and service.
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Healing Addiction with Yoga
Annalisa CunninghamEspecially oriented toward those in 12step programs, this comprehensive wellness guide describes how yoga can stimulate recovery from addiction by bringing the mind and body closer...
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Boundaries Where You End And I Begin
Anne KatherineThe coronavirus pandemic has brought new and challenging interpersonal situations into our lives. Each challenge is an opportunity to assert who we are, and what we truly need to l...
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In OA, Recovery Is Possible
Overeaters AnonymousIn OA, Recovery Is Possible: About Compulsive Eating and the OA Program of Recovery takes the vital introductory information present in Questions and Answers, A Program of Recovery...