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Are You A Compulsive Overeater?

If you have a problem with overeating, give yourself the following quick quiz. Be honest - no-one else needs to see this and you’re doing it for YOU.

Do you eat as a response to all kinds of feelings - highs, lows and in-betweens? Yes No
Does your overeating make you miserable? Yes No
Do your eating habits interfere with your social life; or does your social life revolve around food? Yes No
Do you eat normally in front of others and binge when you’re alone? Yes No
Do you drift off in class because you’re thinking about food or losing weight? Yes No
Do you hate gym and other activities because of your weight? Yes No
Do you spend more than you would like on junk food? Yes No
Do you sometimes steal food or money to buy it? Yes No
Do you pass up dances and other events because you can’t fit into nice clothes? Yes No
Do you resent peoples’ comments and ‘helpful suggestions’ about your weight or the amount of food you eat? Yes No

If your answer to most of these questions is Yes you’re not alone. Many people, including a lot of teenagers, suffer from the disease of compulsive overeating.

Overeaters Anonymous is not a diet club. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. You do not get weighed. There are no charges or fees. You do not have to sign in and you do not get told what to eat. Instead:

No matter how hard we tried on our own, we could not control our eating. In Overeaters Anonymous we found the help we needed to stop overeating and start feeling better about ourselves. We learned to live just one day at a time. We lost weight and kept it off. Best of all, we found peace of mind and a place where we belong. We help each other make responsible choices - not only about food but about other aspects of our lives as well. Our twelve steps of recovery have helped thousands of teenagers - and compulsive overeaters of all ages - to find new, healthy ways of dealing with their feelings so they no longer escape into food …

We talk about what is eating us instead of what we are eating.

To attend a meeting or to learn more about the OA programme of recovery contact: Overeaters Anonymous, PO Box 2451, Christchurch. Tel: (03) 365 3812.