Offer information
You can share that OA exists without diagnosing, pressuring, or monitoring someone.
For family and friends
Concerned About Someone You Care About?
Learning what OA is—and what it is not—can help you share information respectfully while protecting another person’s dignity and choice.
Respect choice
The person you care about decides whether, when, and how to seek help.
Seek your own support
Your wellbeing matters too. Consider qualified support appropriate to your own situation.
Talking about OA
Keep the invitation simple.
- 01
Choose a calm moment
Share concern without debating food, weight, appearance, or labels.
- 02
Point to reliable information
The newcomer guide and meeting finder let someone explore privately.
- 03
Leave the decision with them
A respectful invitation preserves trust better than repeated persuasion.
Read Here or Continue at OA.org.
Short and medium OA materials are available below in accessible text. Longer or frequently updated resources include a local orientation and a link to the current official version. Local summaries are not substitutes for OA-approved literature; use the source link for the exact current OA text.
Local Summary
To the Family of the Compulsive Eater
This OA resource explains how recovery-related changes may affect a household and how families can help through patience, cooperation, respect for privacy and anonymity, and support for the member’s personal choices. The OA member—not the family—is responsible for their eating, meetings, and recovery decisions.