Question:
Anyone go to OA meetings in NYC?

If so, what is the response on WLS? And, where are you going? I'm looking for a group that will be accepting of my choice to have WLS. Thanks!    — [Anonymous] (posted on February 17, 2002)

February 17, 2002
Personally, my experience with OA and some of their hard core (thus the most vocal of them) is that they can be very judgemental and narrow minded. I've also met some very nice people at meetings but I would never go back especially having done this surgery. I don't believe the support would be present at the meeting I used to attend. But this is just my experience, other may have a more positive story to tell, I'm sure.
   — Donna L.

February 18, 2002
I would say my experience with OA was not a positive one. I did not feel it was a healthy environment that I wanted to remain in. I did not like the lack of personal control issues there, and that we can only do things through our "higher power." I believe to be successful at weight loss, we have to take charge of our health, and do what needs to be done to lead a healthy, productive life. Or in my case, to survive. Taking all control and giving it to our higher power (whatever that may be) did not make a lot of sense to me. It is giving up this control that got me in this mess to begin with! I also saw a lot of gloom and doom, talking about the same issues over and over, with no criteria for changing them. This may be a good program for some, and I would never want to discourage you from trying it. It must help some people, ot it would not have been around for so long. I am NOT saying it does not work, but it was just not for me.
   — ScatCat