By YASEMIN TALAT
OVEREATING is a problem facing many Australians today but now Wyndham residents can seek help.
Overeaters Anonymous is a help group for people who feel they are obsessively eating and cannot stop thinking about food.
It is closely modelled on the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous and follows the same guidelines and 12 step principles.
Member of the group, Debbie, was 40 kilos over weight when she started attending the meetings.
“It’s quite different to the normal diet places, not saying anything against them because they’re so effective for some people but for people like me those sorts of places did not work because I had no discipline.”
Debbie said the problem for most overeaters is that they eat through emotions.
“Most of us are sort of eating to deal with life and help us cope with life,” she said.
“We are eating for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with eating.”
“The group attacks the underlying emotional reasons that are behind the eating and that’s the cause and that is what our 12 steps are about.”
Debbie said many different individuals take part in the weekly meetings varying from some who have a lot of weight to lose and to others who only need to lose a few kilos.
She said there were also anorexic and bulimic participants.
“It varies greatly from person to person what their individual situation is,” she said.
“The common feature is we are all obsessed with food and constantly thinking about more.”
Debbie joined the group nine years ago and lost 40 kilos in 12 months and has managed to keep the weight off for eight years.
“I went through a mourning period because I couldn’t eat chocolate anymore,” she said.
“I used to eat chocolate every single day and I got to being overweight.”
“I had to be ready to give all of that up and it’s not necessarily easy but it’s simple what you have to do.”
The group runs two weekly meetings in Newport and Melton.
Contact Debbie for more information 0411 243 771.
