Adding OA to Trusted Eating Disorder Websites Outside the US

You may have an opportunity to help carry our message online to those outside the US who are suffering from anorexia and bulimia.

To combat a rising trend of harmful anorexia- and bulimia-related content (sometimes referred to as “pro ana” and “pro mia”) promoted on social media, many search engines and social media platforms have promoted trusted websites and organizations in their search results for any and all searches pertaining to “anorexia” and “bulimia” (and variations, such as “anorexia help” or “eating disorders help”).

These trusted organizations may have a page on their websites where Overeaters Anonymous can be listed as a resource. Because major platforms deliberately divert website traffic to these trusted sites, we would like OA to be listed on as many of them as possible.

To help, we ask that you search “anorexia” and “bulimia,” “anorexia help,” “eating disorders help,” and similar terms in your country to determine if the search results have been altered to favor trusted websites. Next, we ask that you explore the trusted websites to determine if there is an opportunity for OA to be listed as a resource.

From our research, it appears that these trusted websites fall into three categories:

1. Sites that promote only state-sponsored resources that belong to the country’s nationalized healthcare system.
2. Sites that promote community resources specifically led or managed by licensed health care professionals.
3. Sites that promote all community resources, with a page that lists resources and/or meetings.

Phrases to look for in the menus of these websites include “free and low-cost support groups” or “helpful resources.”

If you identify a website in category #3, we ask that you contact the organization to inquire about how to include Overeaters Anonymous. If you do, please refer them to oa.org or the service body website that best represents your country.

If the trusted website offers no opportunity to list OA, you may try looking at the search results of other top websites in your country. You may also decide to schedule searches annually since search results change over time.

Thank you for your service! If you have success or challenges, please reach out to your region chair or trustee liaison.

In service,

OA Region Chairs and Board of Trustees

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664