Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

What Is Overeaters Anonymous?

Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a 12-step support group for anyone who struggles with compulsive overeating, food addiction, or other unhealthy eating behaviors. During meetings, members of OA discuss their wins and struggles in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

OA doesn’t recommend any specific dietary plans, require any weigh-ins, or ask for membership dues. Anyone who wants to develop healthier eating habits is welcome to join anytime.

One 2021 research review found that OA “fosters a sense of connection and belonging” and could be helpful for people with binge eating disorder. However, research about the program is still limited.

How Overeaters Anonymous Differs From Other 12-Step Programs

Most 12-step groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), call for total abstinence from substance abuse. Since it’s impossible to abstain from food, OA focuses more on abstinence from unhealthy eating behaviors, like bingeing and purging, stress-eating, or hiding food. You’ll set your own goals at the start of the program.

What Are The Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous?

Overeaters Anonymous adapted its 12 steps based on other popular 12-step programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous. Remember that OA, like other 12-step groups, is a spiritual program, not a religious one. People of any faith can follow the steps.

The 12 steps of Overeaters Anonymous include the following:

1. We admitted we were powerless over food—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

What Are The 12 Principles of Overeaters Anonymous?

Every OA step has a corresponding “spiritual principle” that helps you understand a step’s goal. Different chapters, and even individual group members, often have different takes on these principles. You can decide what they mean to you as you “work the program.”

You can see the 12 spiritual principles of OA below:

1. Honesty: Admitting the truth of your addiction and being honest with yourself and others.
2. Hope: Believing that recovery is possible and that a Higher Power can help you change.
3. Faith: Continuing to believe that you will recover, even if it feels impossible.
4. Courage: A willingness to be vulnerable and face your fears throughout your recovery.
5. Integrity: Keeping your word and living in a way that reflects your values.
6. Willingness: The drive to let go of your past and pursue your better future.
7. Humility: Accepting yourself and your limitations, and being willing to ask for help when you need it.
8. Self-discipline: Doing your part and pursuing what you think is right, not what makes you comfortable.
9. Love: Always acting from a place of love for yourself and others.
10. Perseverance: Staying consistent, taking things one day at a time, and letting your choices add up to something greater than what you started with.
11. Spiritual Awareness: Connecting with your understanding of a Higher Power daily, through prayer, meditation, or other spiritual practices.
12. Service: Living by the principles and sharing your knowledge and experience with others.

What Are the 9 Tools of Overeaters Anonymous?

In addition to the 12 steps, OA also has a set of 9 tools of recovery that support and guide members throughout their journeys.

Overeaters Anonymous’s 9 tools of recovery include the following:

1. A Plan of Eating: OA calls for members to follow a customized meal plan without “triggering” foods. They recommend working with a medical provider to find a nutritious plan that fits your needs, especially if you have an eating disorder or a medical condition.
2. Sponsorship: OA recommends connecting with a “sponsor,” a mentor from the group who works one-on-one with you.
3. Meetings: Attending regular meetings helps you stay on track and get regular support from other members.
4. Telephone: Calling or texting your sponsor can help you through hard moments or give you a way to celebrate your wins outside of meetings.
5. Writing: OA suggests writing and journaling to express your food-related thoughts. You can keep your entries private or share them with your sponsor or other group members.
6. Literature: Reading OA-approved books and study guides helps you better understand the 12 steps and gain inspiration and insight into recovery.
7. Action Plan: An “Action Plan” is a set of concrete steps you can take on the road to recovery. Every member’s “action plan” is unique to their goals, just like their meal plan.
8. Anonymity: Members keep each other’s identities and their shared stories secret outside the group. You can even use a fake name if that makes you more comfortable.
9. Service: OA believes that acts of service can aid your recovery journey, even small acts like putting away chairs after meetings or handing out pamphlets.

Overeaters Anonymous Meetings

As of 2025, Overeaters Anonymous hosts over 6,000 in-person and online meetings. Meetings are available in the United States and over 70 other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

All OA meetings are open to non-members unless posted otherwise.

What Is an Overeaters Anonymous Meeting Like?

Overeaters Anonymous meetings vary by chapter, but most will open with an introduction from the group leader and AA’s serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

Newcomers will have a chance to introduce themselves, and the group leader may explain OA’s terminology, such as their definitions of abstinence and recovery.

Common formats of OA meetings include the following: 

• Step meetings: After reading one of the 12 steps, members take turns sharing their thoughts or experiences related to the step.
• Topic meeting: The meeting leader chooses a topic related to food or compulsive eating, and members share experiences related to the topic.
• Speaker Meetings: The meeting leader or another chosen speaker spends most of the meeting time telling their story and sharing their knowledge with the group.
• Literature Meetings: Members read a piece of OA-approved literature and discuss the topic, or share stories relating to it.

Meetings usually close with a moment of silence and another prayer.

How Can I Find an Overeaters Anonymous Meeting?

To find an in-person meeting in your area, visit OA’s face-to-face meeting finder. You can sort by country, state or province, zip code, and set a search radius. You can also choose to show open meetings only.

If you don’t have any meetings nearby or don’t feel comfortable attending in person, you can find virtual meetings organized by time zone on OA’s online meeting finder and phone meeting finder. You don’t have to register to attend.

OA also offers non-real-time meetings on social media, text groups, or message boards. You can find one with OA’s non-real-time meeting finder.

Get Support Through Overeaters Anonymous

If you’re tired of feeling like food controls your life, don’t wait to ask for help. You can learn more about Overeaters Anonymous on OA.org and find your first in-person or online meeting. Remember that OA isn’t a medical program, so it’s also important to talk to your doctor about other recovery options that could aid your road to recovery.

If you’re unsure if Overeaters Anonymous is the right fellowship for you, consider other 12-step groups centered on food, like Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous or Food Addicts Anonymous.

Written by

Jessica Miller

Editorial Director

Jessica Miller is the Editorial Director of Addiction Help. Jessica graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) with an English degree and combines her writing expertise and passion for helping others to deliver reliable information to those impacted by addiction. Informed by her personal journey to recovery and support of loved ones in sobriety, Jessica's empathetic and authentic approach resonates deeply with the Addiction Help community.

Reviewed by

• Fact-Checked
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Kent S. Hoffman, D.O.

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Kent S. Hoffman, D.O. has been an expert in addiction medicine for more than 15 years. In addition to managing a successful family medical practice, Dr. Hoffman is board certified in addiction medicine by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM). Dr. Hoffman has successfully treated hundreds of patients battling addiction. Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality.