Review Of the Organizations

For those of us who deal with food addiction on a daily basis, there are a number of organization that offer assistance.

I personally do not believe that any of them have the complete formula for me.

Here is a sampling of the organizations and what I believe:

Overeaters Anonymous offers a program of recovery from compulsive eating using the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA. Worldwide meetings and other tools provide a fellowship of experience, strength and hope where members respect one another’s anonymity. OA charges no dues or fees; it is self-supporting through member contributions.
OA is not just about weight loss, weight gain or maintenance, or obesity or diets. It addresses physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It is not a religious organization and does not promote any particular diet.
OA members differ in many ways, but we are united by our common disease and the solution we have found in the OA program. We practiceunity with diversity, and we welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. Welcome to Overeaters Anonymous. Welcome home.

OA is trying to be inclusive, but compulsive behaviors are not my primary problem, chemical addiction is. They are the first, and most widespread organization, and have the most open stance on this problem. Even though the compulsion is a minor part of my problem, I still attend, because they are here.

"Food Addicts Anonymous is an organization that believes that Food Addiction is a biochemical disorder that occurs at a cellular level and therefore cannot be cured by willpower or by therapy alone. We feel that food addiction is not a moral or character issue. This Twelve Step program believes that food addiction can be managed by abstaining from (eliminating) addictive foods, following a program of sound nutrition (a food plan), and working the Twelve Steps of the program. After we have gone through a process of withdrawal from addictive foods many of us have experienced miraculous life-style changes."

These guys have improved the message by defining it as a biochemical issue, but have not defined the biochemical processes involved. They have a specific food program, No sugar, flour, wheat, which is a good start, but short for me. But what about those of us that have dairy, cheese, nut, and omega 6 issues? Some of us have biochemical hyperinsulinemia issues, some dopamine receptors issues, some serotonin, some opoiade issues. Some have only physical food knowledge issues, others emotional/ social issues, some of us have all these issues.

ACORN is a for profit group which do a good job of getting people started down the path, but 5 days is a start only. They state along the way 

Make sure your food plan provides overall nutritional balance by consulting with a doctor, dietitian or eating disorders specialist about nutritional balance.

I personally think that we need to learn enough about nutrition, food addiction, digestive processes, physics of food digestion, to become out own food coach, if for no other reason to separate the diet industry bullshit from the reality. We also likely to need vitamins and minerals. Iodine, magnesium,  calcium, Vitamin C, D, were short in my diet.  

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

We are an international fellowship of men and women who have experienced difficulties in life as a result of the way we eat. We joined FA either because we could not control our eating or because we were obsessed with food. We find that we need the fellowship of others who share this problem and this program of recovery to stop abusing food and live a fulfilling life. Through shared experience and mutual support, we help each other to recover from the disease of food addiction.

I went to bunch of there meetings, and though they are a bunch of control freaks that allow other control freaks to control them, but it does seem to work for those who will submit to such rigger.

GreySheeters Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from compulsive overeating. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for GSA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. GSA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay abstinent and help other compulsive overeaters to achieve abstinence.

These folks are one of the early off shoots of OA, who insist that there members follow a specific Grey Sheet diet.

There are a bunch of others listed on the Acorn site for anyone interested.