Etiquette for Observers at Overeaters Anonymous (OA) Meetings

Compiled by the members of Greater Pittsburgh Intergroup, Overeaters Anonymous

The members of Greater Pittsburgh Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous welcome visitors to OPEN meetings. You may wish to attend to learn about OA to complete a school assignment, to expand your professional knowledge, or to support a loved one.

We are happy to have you, but ask that you observe the following courtesies:

• Confirm in advance that the meeting is an OPEN meeting. Members of open meetings have decided by group conscience to welcome anyone who is interested in the OA program for any reason. Every OA meeting has at least one contact person whom you can call to confirm that the meeting is OPEN and, if possible, set the date you plan to visit.
• If you are attending as part of a class assignment, do not assume your class can attend the meeting as a group. Rather, call the meeting contact person to see how many students the meeting can accomodate at one time, and plan accordingly.
• Please identify yourself as a visitor or observer before (or as soon as) the meeting begins.
• Remember that you are observing an anonymous 12-step meeting, and that the principle of ANONYMITY is the bedrock of our program. If you are attending to complete a school assignment, for example, we ask that you not use names in your report. Neither audio nor image recording of any kind are permitted in OA meetings.