The 12 Traditions

1. Our common welfare should come first, personal recovery depends on OA unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants.

3. The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

4. Each group should remain autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the compulsive eater who still suffers.

6. An OA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the OA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every OA group ought to be fully self supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. OA should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. OA, as such, our never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. OA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name out never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles above personalities.

 

The 12 Traditions is copyrighted material owned by Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. and presented here with permission. 
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