Dear Faith Community Leader,

We believe that some people in the community you serve may be unable to make the changes necessary to support their health, despite obesity or complications related to unhealthy eating or inappropriate weight. Many of us with this problem have found help in Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA). We hope you and those you work with will find information about FA™ useful.

What is FA?™
FA™ is a program based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. We offer help and spiritually-based recovery to those whose connection with food can be understood as a form of addiction. We are not a medical group, nor are we connected with any particular form of religion. We charge no dues or fees and our meetings include no weigh-ins. Our membership is international and includes men and women, adolescents, and the elderly. All are welcome.

Who might benefit from FA™?
People who find help in FA™ vary greatly. Some of us have been diagnosed as morbidly obese, while others are undereaters. Among us are those who were severely bulimic, who have harmed themselves with compulsive exercise, or whose quality of life was impaired by constant obsession with food or weight. We tend to be people who, in the long term, have failed at every solution we tried, including therapy, support groups, diets, fasting, exercise, and in-patient treatment programs.

Does FA™ work?
Like Alcoholics Anonymous, FA treats food addiction as a threefold illness: physical, mental, and spiritual.  Members have maintained continuous recovery (including stable weight and freedom from obsession with food and body size) for years and even decades. Along with improvements in physical health, FA recovery has brought us better relationships, increased self-esteem, more tools for handling stress, and an ever-deepening spirituality.

Would you like more information?
We would be happy to answer any of your questions, to speak with your colleagues, or to any groups within your worship community. Please contact us via email: [email protected].  Additional information is available at the FA website: www.foodaddicts.org.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, 

FA Public Information Committee

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If someone you love suffers because of food, there is help.

If you are reading this, you may have a family member or friend finding recovery in Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA). Or, perhaps, someone you care about is suffering as a result of their relationship to food and you wonder if FA can help.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Unlike diet programs which rely on willpower and effort, FA addresses addiction, and recovery is rooted in surrender. As a result, members find lasting freedom from cravings and maintain healthy weights for years and even decades.

FA members have found that we are addicted not only to foods made with flour and sugar but to quantities of food as well. Many of us have been obese while others were underweight. Some of us maintained a healthy weight but struggled constantly with obsession about our bodies. Without a program of recovery, we are unable to consistently make healthy choices about what we eat, regardless of the incredible willpower often evident in other areas of our lives.

For a basic understanding of food addiction and the program of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), and to read about the experience of other family members with loved ones in FA, read the pamphlet To Our Families and Friends. Here is a sample from that pamphlet:

We want to reassure you that although the beginnings may be difficult, in our experience, the result of the FA program can be a greater love and understanding of each other than was ever possible in the past. After a time, we thoroughly adjust to our new way of living.

We participate in life fully and zestfully, enjoying birthday parties, meals out, holiday celebrations, vacations, and other special times with our family and friends. We come to value our families and loved ones more than ever before, and they tell us that they like the people we have become. If someone you love has just joined FA, we believe that there will be many wonderful times ahead for both of you!

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