Fat and Thin Find Common Ground
By Abby Ellin
This is an excellent article about anorexia, bulimia and binge
eating disorders. It is worth reading by
anyone with an interest in eating disorders and obesity. Published, NY Times, October 10, 2013.
Still, despite differences in physical characteristics and symptoms, those suffering from an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia and those with obesity have “shared psychological components, commonalities and underpinnings,” said Dr. Scott Kahan, director of the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, a nonprofit obesity policy organization.
One of the comments made referenced Overeaters Anonymous, an organization which can help many people. OA's website states:
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.
[While] OA members differ in many ways, we are united by our common disease and the solution we have found in the OA program. We practice unity with diversity, and we welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively.