Fifth Annual Convention Draws Food Addicts from 29 States, 6 Nations Around the World

Published July 6, 2010

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, a recovery program treating food addiction based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, just held its annual convention in Danvers, Massachusetts.

Malden, MA (PRWEB) July 28, 2006 — The 5th annual business convention of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) was held in Danvers, Massachusetts, June 23-25, 2006.

Based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is an effective, long-term solution to food addiction for many people who use food as a drug, whether they undereat, overeat, are bulimic, or are otherwise obsessed with food. For more information, visit http://www.foodaddicts.org.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is an international fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from food addiction. FA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine. Membership in FA is free and is open to anyone who wants to recover from food addiction. The group is comprised of thousands of women and men who have had difficulty controlling their eating. Membership is diverse in relation to age, ethnicity and socio-economic background.

The number of FA members in attendance at the annual business convention grew from 248 in 2002 to 565 in 2006. Attendees came from 29 states in the US and from Germany, Australia, Canada, Qatar and the United Kingdom. Of those present, 204 were voting delegates, representing 58% of the 352 meetings worldwide.

Attendees at the annual gathering learned the results of the first worldwide FA Survey. The survey revealed that the estimated membership of FA is 2800 worldwide. Of that membership, 11% are male, 90% are between the ages of 31 and 70, and 8% are younger than 30. Forty-nine percent have been abstinent (free from addictive eating) for 13 months to five years and 44% have had a normal body size for 13 months to five years. In addition, many early members have been abstinent from addictive eating and had a normal body size for ten to thirty years.

In the United States, there are more than 325 regular, weekly FA meetings available for those looking for freedom from food addiction.

For a list of meetings in your area, visit http://www.foodaddicts.org or call the FA World Service Office at (781) 321-9118.

Are you a food addict?

Ask yourself the following questions and answer them as honestly as you can.

1 Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn’t?
2 Do you think about food or your weight constantly?
3 Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?
4 Do you binge and then “get rid of the binge” through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?
5 Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?
6 Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?
7 Do you eat large quantities of food at one time (binge)?
8 Is your weight problem due to your “nibbling” all day long?
9 Do you eat to escape from your feelings?
10 Do you eat when you’re not hungry?
11 Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve and eat it later?
12 Do you eat in secret?
13 Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?
14 Have you ever stolen other people’s food?
15 Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have “enough”?
16 Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?
17 Do you obsessively calculate the calories you’ve burned against the calories you’ve eaten?
18 Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you’ve eaten?
19 Are you waiting for your life to begin “when you lose the weight?”
20 Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then you may be a food addict.

You are not alone. FA offers hope with a real solution to food addiction. Visit the Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Web site at http://www.foodaddicts.org.

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