It is a sad statement of our times that a third or more of the population is considered obese.  While this is due in part to the prevalence of multi-million dollar corporations that advertise 24/7 their fatty, sugar laden, and high  carbohydrate foods commonly and perhaps smartly known as  “junk foods,” the fact still remains that to preserve our own health we need to take some action to literally save our own lives.

   Many people who come into the meetings of Overeaters Anonymous are hesitant to admit or even consider that they have a problem, regardless of their girth or eating/purging history.

 To help you consider whether you might be a prospect for our program of recovery, we have put together a list of questions for your consideration.

 

Are You a Compulsive Eater?

Here Are 15 Questions So You Can Decide!

 

This series of questions may help you determine if you are a compulsive overeater. Many members of Overeaters Anonymous have found that they have answered yes to many of these questions.

 

1. Do you eat when you're not hungry?

2. Do you go on eating binges for no apparent reason?

3. Do you have feeling of guilt and remorse after overeating?

4. Do you give too much time and thought to food?

5. Do you look forward with pleasure and anticipation to the time when

   you can eat alone?

6. Do you plan these secret binges ahead of time?

7. Do you eat sensibly before others and make up for it alone?

8. Is your weight effecting the way you live your life?

9. Have you tried to diet for a week (or longer), only to fall short of your

    goal?

10. Do you resent others telling you to "use a little willpower" to stop

     overeating?

11. Despite evidence to the contrary, have you continued to assert that

      you can diet "on your own" whenever you wish?

12. Do you crave to eat at a definite time, day or night, other than

      mealtime?

13. Do you eat to escape from worries or trouble?

14. Have you ever been treated for obesity or a food-related condition?

15. Does your eating behavior make you or others unhappy?

 

Have you answered yes to three or more of these questions? If so, it is probable that you have or are well on your way to having a compulsive overeating problem. We have found that the way to arrest this progressive disease is to practice the Twelve-Step recovery program of Overeaters Anonymous.

 

Is OA For You?

 

Only you can decide that question...no one else can make this decision for you. We who are now in OA have found a way of life which enables us to live without the need for excess food. We believe that compulsive overeating is a progressive illness...one that, like alcoholism and some other illnesses, can be arrested.

 

Remember, there is no shame in admitting you have a problem; the most important thing is to do something about it.