To The Young Person

Do you have a problem with food, eating behaviors, or body image? If you haven’t done so already, you may wish to take the following quiz. Asking yourself the following questions can help you see how food issues affect your life:

Do my eating habits change depending on my feelings?
Am I unhappy or frustrated with my eating habits or body size, or with my attempts to control them?
Do I sometimes feel I can’t stop eating even though I want to?
Do I often eat more (or less) than most people do at a meal or throughout the day?
Do I eat large amounts of food even when I’m not physically hungry?
Do I eat normally in front of others but eat excessively, or avoid eating, when I’m alone?
Do I spend a lot of time thinking about my body size?
Do I try to control my body size by fasting, purging, using laxatives, or exercising for long hours?
Do thoughts of food or my body image take up too much of my time and energy?
Do my eating habits, body size, or feelings of shame about how I look limit my social life?
Do I avoid physical activities because of how I feel about my body?
Do I sometimes sneak food or steal money to buy it?
Do I lie about how much I eat or don’t eat?
Have I been told that I really ought to eat more (or less)? Do I wish people wouldn’t comment about my body size or eating habits?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you’re not alone. Many, including young people, suffer from the disease of compulsive eating, whether they are an overeater, a bulimic, or an anorexic. Whether you call the problem an eating disorder or a disease, the good news is that there is a solution.

Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals of all ages who support each other in overcoming compulsive eating by working OA’s Twelve Steps of recovery.

Most of us, no matter how hard we tried, could not control our eating behaviors. In OA, we found people who understood us and gave us the help we needed through the Twelve Steps of OA. We stopped our compulsive food behaviors, took action to restore our health, and learned to maintain a healthy weight and life.

We find that, so long as we practice the Twelve Steps, we seldom have any desire to return to our former eating behaviors.

OA is not a diet club. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. We don’t weigh members. We don’t charge dues or fees. We don’t track attendance. We don’t tell you what you should or should not eat. In OA, we help each other make responsible choices about our food (such as which foods and the amounts to eat), how we behave with food (such as when and where to eat), and other aspects of our lives. Sometimes we find that what is eating us affects how and what we eat.

		[{"id":422,"link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/2025\/08\/28\/to-the-young-person\/","name":"to-the-young-person","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-15-092219.png","alt":""},"title":"To The Young Person","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Alix","link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/author\/alix\/"},"date":"Aug 28, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-28 12:31:12","modifiedDate":"2025-08-30 04:49:07","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-30 04:49:07","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>","space":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-students\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for students<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-members-stories\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young members stories<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-people\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young people<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-youth-fellowship\/' rel='post_tag'>oa youth fellowship<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/student-oa-members\/' rel='post_tag'>student oa members<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/teen-eating-disorder-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>teen eating disorder recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/under-30-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>under 30 oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-adult-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>young adult oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-people-in-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>young people in recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/youth-compulsive-eating\/' rel='post_tag'>youth compulsive eating<\/a>","series":""},"readTime":{"min":2,"sec":43},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":760,"link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/2025\/08\/17\/anorexic-and-bulimic-podcasts\/","name":"anorexic-and-bulimic-podcasts","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/microphone-21364_256.gif","alt":""},"title":"Anorexia and Bulimia Podcasts","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Peri","link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/author\/peri\/"},"date":"Aug 17, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-17 23:44:46","modifiedDate":"2025-08-20 17:23:35","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-20 17:23:35","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>","space":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/anorexia-bulimia-help\/' rel='post_tag'>anorexia bulimia help<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/compulsive-exercise-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>compulsive exercise recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/eating-disorder-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>eating disorder recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/food-restriction-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>food restriction recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-anorexia-support\/' rel='post_tag'>oa anorexia support<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-bulimia-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>oa bulimia recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-binge-purge-cycle\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for binge purge cycle<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-purging\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for purging<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-restrictive-eating\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for restrictive eating<\/a>","series":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":16},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":699,"link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/2025\/08\/15\/young-peoples-stories\/","name":"young-peoples-stories","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-15-2025-09_23_56-AM.png","alt":""},"title":"Young People's Stories","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Alix","link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/author\/alix\/"},"date":"Aug 15, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-15 12:31:30","modifiedDate":"2025-08-15 13:18:59","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-15 13:18:59","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/about-oa\/\" rel=\"category tag\">About OA<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>","space":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/about-oa\/\" rel=\"category tag\">About OA<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/anorexia-bulimia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Anorexia-Bulimia<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-students\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for students<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-people\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young people<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-youth-fellowship\/' rel='post_tag'>oa youth fellowship<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/student-oa-members\/' rel='post_tag'>student oa members<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/teen-eating-disorder-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>teen eating disorder recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/under-30-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>under 30 oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-adult-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>young adult oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-people-in-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>young people in recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/youth-compulsive-eating\/' rel='post_tag'>youth compulsive eating<\/a>","series":""},"readTime":{"min":21,"sec":3},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":623,"link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/2025\/08\/13\/young-adults-podcasts\/","name":"young-adults-podcasts","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/microphone-21364_256.gif","alt":""},"title":"Young Adults Podcasts","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Peri","link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/author\/peri\/"},"date":"Aug 13, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-13 18:20:43","modifiedDate":"2025-08-20 21:14:18","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-20 21:14:18","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>","space":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-students\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for students<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-people\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young people<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-youth-fellowship\/' rel='post_tag'>oa youth fellowship<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/student-oa-members\/' rel='post_tag'>student oa members<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/teen-eating-disorder-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>teen eating disorder recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/under-30-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>under 30 oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-adult-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>young adult oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-people-in-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>young people in recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/youth-compulsive-eating\/' rel='post_tag'>youth compulsive eating<\/a>","series":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":21},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":389,"link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/2025\/08\/03\/young-people-in-oa\/","name":"young-people-in-oa","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/team-4529717_1280.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Young People in OA","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Alix","link":"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/author\/alix\/"},"date":"Aug 3, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-03 11:25:13","modifiedDate":"2025-08-25 13:26:50","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-25 13:26:50","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a>, <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>","space":"<a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/oa-org\/\" rel=\"category tag\">OA.org<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small has-secondary-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/category\/young-people\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Young People<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-for-students\/' rel='post_tag'>oa for students<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-members-stories\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young members stories<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-young-people\/' rel='post_tag'>oa young people<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/oa-youth-fellowship\/' rel='post_tag'>oa youth fellowship<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/student-oa-members\/' rel='post_tag'>student oa members<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/teen-eating-disorder-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>teen eating disorder recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/under-30-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>under 30 oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-adult-oa\/' rel='post_tag'>young adult oa<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/young-people-in-recovery\/' rel='post_tag'>young people in recovery<\/a><a href='https:\/\/newcomers.oacfi.org\/tag\/youth-compulsive-eating\/' rel='post_tag'>youth compulsive eating<\/a>","series":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":2},"status":"publish","excerpt":""}]

_____________________________________________________________________
© Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All rights reserved.
Image Source: CC0 License – AI Generated Image. It is not a photograph of real people, and is intended for illustrative purposes only.