A Little Food Plan History Q. When did OA stop publishing gray and orange sheet pamphlets? A. At the 1987 World Service Business Conference, a new policy statement was adopted, after which the gray and orange sheet food plans were removed from publication. The policy was amended and then rescinded but last read: “The OA 1997 World Service Business Conference, after careful consideration, believes that … Read More
All Are Welcome Q. I keep hearing the term “food addict” when people introduce themselves at meetings. Is this okay today? I have always used the terms “compulsive eater,” or “compulsive overeater.” I personally do not care for the term “addict.” What is considered correct? A. The answer is there are no rules concerning how people introduce themselves at an OA meeting. Some … Read More
Sharing Service My spiritual awakening came after rereading Step Three; I gradually began to trust Higher Power and became willing to turn my whole life over to him. This focus was strengthened by my daily use of meditation and gratitude lists. But before I was truly willing to do these things, I felt the presence of Higher Power being available to me. … Read More
Unity Day Portions Unity Day 2016 was a day to remember. We had three speakers, and the tone for the day was set when we read the quote on page 360 in For Today: “The only gift is a portion of thyself.” The first speaker noted, “I finally gave up believing that skinny equals happy. There is a Higher Power out there if … Read More
Intergroup Participation Q. Are there any suggestions on what an intergroup can do to attract participation from the Fellowship? A. Yes. First, let me assure you that yours is not the only intergroup that has challenges with this issue. The good news is that there are a number of ways to stimulate growth in intergroup participation. One way to get started is … Read More
Double Duty I was a member of Central Florida Intergroup, serving on CFI’s Public Information/Professional Outreach Committee. I’d noticed on our area’s convention center website that a national teachers’ union would be hosting its annual convention in July. About 14,000 teachers would be in attendance from around the country I inquired about what it would take to establish a presence for Overeaters … Read More
IDEA Activity: Pen a Principle I have been in Overeaters Anonymous five and a half years and abstinent for more than eighteen months. I do not weigh myself, but the clothing I had last year still fits. I am so grateful for Overeaters Anonymous. At our International Day Experiencing Abstinence celebration last November, we did group activities working with program Principles. My group’s Principle was … Read More
IDEA Event Well-Worked Our International Day Experiencing Abstinence event was well attended by many in our recovering community in Milwaukee. We opened with a speaker, then did a writing activity. Perhaps you could write about this topic too: “What is the difference between dieting and abstinence?” Then we read a Lifeline article (“Outside and In”) about the difference between trying to be abstinent … Read More
Responsibility and Reward Service is both the responsibility and the reward for recovery through the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous. During my thirty-plus years in OA, I’ve had many service positions. I’ve loved every one of them and learned from them too. Service has taught me about myself, about human nature and addictive behavior, and about my weaknesses and assets; it’s also taught … Read More
Intergroup Involvement Before I got involved in service at the intergroup level, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to intergroups and what they do. Now, I see all the services they provide and what we would miss if we lost our intergroup. Our web page, telephone answering service, meeting lists, equipment, speakers list, Fellowship-wide celebrations like IDEA Day, communications with region and … Read More