Overeaters Anonymous: An Overlooked Intervention for Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder affects >2.8 million American adults and is characterized by low remission rates (52–62%) and 20–60% relapse rates. Fifty-six percent of individuals with binge eating disorder never receive treatment due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of education, diagnosis, access to care, and inadequate insurance coverage. Therefore, new interventions are needed that can overcome the barriers to recovery. Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a twelve-step program and established fellowship for individuals who self-identify as having problematic or addictive relationships with food or eating. OA provides a promising complement for treating binge eating disorder, which often shares overlap with substance-related and addictive disorder processes at the genetic, neurobiological, and behavioral levels. OA can be referred clinically or sought out by an individual confidentially, without a diagnosis, and free of charge, thus overcoming the many barriers to treatment. This commentary provides a precursory review on findings that support phenomenological and neurobiological overlap between binge eating disorder and substance related and addictive disorders. We review existing research findings on the efficacy of twelve-step interventions and OA, and review research findings on the psychology and neurobiology of spirituality and religiosity. Common misunderstandings about and within OA are also addressed and OA’s limitations are discussed. For example, the emphasis on “self-diagnosis” can result in poorly aligned treatment goals, emphasizing the importance of undertaking OA as a complement to professional treatment and care. Overall, OA provides a promising option for binge eating disorder treatment that warrants clinical research on its feasibility and efficacy.