Many people resort to desperate measures to control their weight and the way they eat—expensive diets, surgery, medications, excessive exercise, purging, abuse of laxatives, and extreme food restriction. Others don’t know where to turn or have just given up hope. There is, however, an effective long-term solution thousands have found through Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, or FA. As one member put it, “I’ve kept 65 pounds off my body for almost 12 years—I couldn’t keep it off for 12 minutes before FA. I would go on a diet, hit my goal weight, and immediately go out and celebrate with food. After that, I’d start putting it all back on and then some.”

Based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, FA understands food addiction as a physical craving and an ever-increasing dependence upon and struggle with food, particularly flour, sugar and quantities. FA is distinctive because it focuses on long-term recovery from addiction.

Founded in 1998, there are now more than 420 FA meetings across the United States and five other countries—including 22 meetings in Maine and eight in the Midcoast area. Meetings are open to all FA members and those interested in learning about the program for themselves or for others they think might find FA helpful.

FA has no dues, fees, or purchase of special foods and is not affiliated with any public or private organization, ideology, or religious doctrine. It is a fellowship of women and men—diverse in age, ethnicity and socio-economic background—who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from food addiction.

Some members come to FA due to weight-related physical problems. As one man explained, “I was morbidly obese at 341 pounds and had a laundry list of health problems: knee and back problems, heart palpitations, acid reflux, high blood pressure, high cholesterol…I also suffered from anxiety and depression. Since coming to FA, I now weigh 165 pounds and have maintained this weight for more than five years. I do not suffer from any of those physical (or mental) ailments any longer.” Many members report going off or greatly reducing their medications for Type 2 diabetes.

Other members come to FA for relief from the self-loathing and unhappiness that accompanied their struggle with food. As Carly described it, “’I’ll just have one,’ always lead me to having ‘just one’ until the plate, box or bag was empty. I hated myself for not being able to control my eating. I thought about food and my weight 24/7.” And another member said, “I used food to comfort me, to push down unwanted feelings, as a buffer between me and life. It wasn’t working. Following the FA program and working the Twelve Steps has allowed me to become the person I always wanted to be, both physically and emotionally.”

To locate FA meetings and find out more about FA, visit www.foodaddicts.org, or call the FA Maine Information line at 207-775-2132. An information session, open to all interested, will be held Saturday, Jan. 12 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Conference Room 1 & 2  at Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick. Regular weekly meetings are held there Saturdays at 9 a.m.