Bob was already in shape and at a healthy weight but learned in OA that his exercise habits masked a food addiction. He describes how OA gave him a safe place to find recovery and build a productive life.
Beth learned about OA after she noticed a coworker losing weight and becoming noticeably happier. When she realized that she was out of control, she asked if she could join her coworker at a meeting. At the meeting, she was relieved to hear that OA is not a diet program and that the other OA members had problems with food that were similar to her own.
OA invites DIVERSITY and promotes UNITY. In this episode, one OA member speaks about recovery from a man’s perspective and another describes finding a “non-traditional” Higher Power
“By admitting my powerlessness over food and my life in Step One and by continuing to come back for twenty-nine years, I have maintained an 80-pound (36-kg) weight loss,” says Kristin, who previously had done many years of “research” into dieting.
“I’ve learned that my serenity and peace of mind are based on how much I surrender,” says Joel, who turns to Step Eleven when emotional storms roll in.
When Anonymous asked God to help curb her impulse purchases, a homeless woman named Skye showed up and provided an opportunity to shop charitably and make a living amend
“We are all in charge of our own side of the street and our own programs,” says one OA member, who remarks how gratifying it is that service body decisions are all based on following our primary purpose: to carry the message of recovery.