Worldwide Wonder
“My world was very small,” says Bonita, “but as I got involved with service in the program, I heard that OA was worldwide. The World Service Convention has been a great part of my world expanding.”
“My world was very small,” says Bonita, “but as I got involved with service in the program, I heard that OA was worldwide. The World Service Convention has been a great part of my world expanding.”
“There’s just something special about being at Convention,” says Hanna. “It’s seeing the people that gets me most excited . . . There’s never an awkward moment, and it never feels stressful the way it can be when seeing family members or non-program friends after a few years.”
E.C.’s has persisted in OA for more than 20 years, and the inevitable result is abstinence from compulsive overeating and a strong program of recovery.
OA’s Ninth Tradition shone brightly during the pandemic when local service bodies suddenly found themselves serving OA members from around the world.
There are countless ways to serve in Overeaters Anonymous, each offering an opportunity to support recovery and extend the hand and heart of OA to others.
Before OA, food ruled Dodie’s every waking moment, even from a very early age. In college, Dodie weighed 215 pounds (97.5 kg) and felt trapped in ugliness. When she realized she had a problem with food, she found OA, and now maintains a 85-pound (38.5-kg) weight loss.
Kathleen’s binge eating and low self-esteem made her ill and unable to hold a job. She was in the midst of bingeing and counting calories when she heard on the radio a public service announcement about Overeaters Anonymous. When she attended her first meeting, someone told her “You’re not alone anymore,” and that was enough to give her hope and start her on her recovery journey.
“We are all dependent on each other for our shared welfare,” says one OA member. “You came with a commitment to love me until I learned to love myself. Because I owe you for that love and acceptance, I get the work done that needs to be done.”