Hey,
I used to have issues with food (well, I still do, a little bit, they never truly go away, but I no longer have an eating disorder or am obese), and I went to a few Food Addicts Anonymous meetings....it wasn't for me, I have to say. I did not agree with the idea of quitting white foods altogether - I don't think NEVER eating sugar or bread in any form is a sustainable lifestyle, even though I do avoid both 90% of the time. I also had a problem with the religious aspect of the program - I'm an atheist, so I couldn't really find a "higher power" for myself, to be honest. They did suggest I talk to some woman who'd successfully gone through the program being an atheist, but I decided the program was not for me anyway. However, I did enjoy listening to others' stories - it was nice to know that someone else has gone through the same thing and beat it successfully.
I don't know how similar FA is to OA, but I bet there isn't a drastic difference.
I do have a few friends who've participated in the AA, some successfully, some not so much. I became interested in 12-step programs after an alcoholic neighbor became seriously ill b/c of his disease (he eventually passed away). I've read The Big Book, and feel like I really benefited from it - it was nice to see people honestly talk about their addictions and skip all the stupid political correctness that goes with it in the media - it's a book written by addicts for addicts. In my opinion, the Big Book is just as relevant to a food addict as it is to an alcoholic.
If anything, it's even harder for an FA out there, because we HAVE to eat. Nobody HAS to drink alcohol. We can't just quit food cold turkey, we have to deal with our issues every time we sit down at a meal.
