About OA
Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive eating.
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 eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.
OA Preamble © 1997–2026 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Overeaters Anonymous is a Twelve-Step program founded by Rozanne S. Its first meeting was held in Hollywood, California, USA on January 19, 1960, after Rozanne attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting and realized that the Twelve Steps could potentially help her with her own addictive behaviors relating to food. Our 12 Steps & Twelve Traditions were adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous and are used with permission by AA World Services Inc.
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/ meeting 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.
Overeaters Anonymous is a Twelve-Step program founded by Rozanne S. Its first meeting was held in Hollywood, California, USA on January 19, 1960, after Rozanne attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting and realized that the Twelve Steps could potentially help her with her own addictive behaviors relating to food. Our 12 Steps & Twelve Traditions were adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous and are used with permission by AA World Services Inc.
OA has since grown and is World-wide. It is estimated membership is over 60,000 people in about 6,500 groups/ meeting in over 75 countries.
OA’s 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 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.