Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a community of people who support each other in order to recover from compulsive eating and food behaviors. We welcome everyone who feels they have a problem with food. Read the full OA Preamble.

The first meeting of Overeaters Anonymous was held in Hollywood, California, USA on January 19, 1960. Rozanne S. attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting two years earlier to help a friend and realized the format of the Twelve Steps meeting might hold an answer to her own addictive behavior as it related to food. Her vision of how this simple program could bring recovery to all those who suffered from compulsive overeating resulted in the worldwide organization that exists today.

There are OA groups in over 75 countries meeting in person, via telephone and through the internet each week. OA’s 60-year history has shown that it is possible to recover from the disease of compulsive eating. We invite you to join us to find the freedom that many of our members have discovered over the years.

Want to learn more about OA? Browse our Frequently Asked Questions.