Group takes a bite out of overeating disorder

SCOURING bins for food, stealing snacks and pigging out on a tub of ice cream are symptoms of an often unheard of eating disorder.
Compulsive overeating is a disease, according to a spokeswoman from Rowville’s Overeaters Anonymous (OA) support group.
In line with the group’s name, the spokeswoman did not want her name published.
She said the group was set up for people who wished to control their addictive eating habits.
She said residents from Ferntree Gully, Cockatoo, Rosebud and a variety of other places travelled far to seek help anonymously for their uncontrollable eating.
The group’s spokeswoman said the Rowvillebased group had more than 10 members who met each Saturday at 8.30pm at Rowville Uniting Church and shared their stories.
She said the goal for compulsive overeaters was to become ‘abstinent’ – that is cured of the disease.
“Compulsive overeating is considered a disease and many doctors are aware of it,” she said.
“Before it was known as a disease people thought it was a will power issue … ‘just put down the bottle’, or ‘just put down the food’.”
She said the group abided by the Alcoholics Anonymous ‘Big Book’, a bible of help with steps to overcoming a disorder that had led some members to scour through rubbish bins for food scraps.
She said fear, selfcenteredness, resentment and dishonesty were the main causes of people’s addiction to food.
She said the book offered a 12step program to abstinence, and that members chose a mentor from the group who would be on call 24 hours a day to help the vulnerable resist temptations.
More information is available on 9874 5527.