Overeaters Anonymous

What Overeaters Anonymous does

Overeaters Anonymous (Greater New York Metro Intergroup) is a nonprofit Twelve Step fellowship service body serving individuals recovering from compulsive overeating in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization operates as a local affiliate of Overeaters Anonymous, founded in 1960 and adapted from the Alcoholics Anonymous program, with operational governance tied to OA World Service Office and Region 6 (North East). Its core product is a peer-run recovery program delivered through 30+ weekly in-person meetings held at churches, community centers, and public libraries across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Washington Heights, supplemented by daily Zoom-based virtual meetings with phone dial-in. Supporting services include a formal sponsor matching program, a speaker list with topic-based filtering (anorexia/bulimia, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, young persons, relapse), a podcast archive spanning 2018-2026, the quarterly Metro Memo newsletter, and an annual Newcomer Open House.

The underlying technology is minimal: a WordPress-based informational website (oanyc.org), Zoom for virtual meetings, and the OA Bookstore (bookstore.oa.org) for e-commerce literature sales. There is no proprietary software, no mobile application, no API, and no AI/ML capability. The program uses nine recovery tools — Plan of Eating, Sponsorship, Meetings, Telephone, Writing, Literature, Action Plan, Anonymity, and Service — anchored in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

The business model is donation-based and non-commercial. Membership requires only a desire to stop eating compulsively; there are no dues or fees. Revenue derives from voluntary 7th Tradition contributions (suggested $3-5 per meeting, with NYC meetings at the higher end due to venue costs) and OA Bookstore literature sales. Per tradition, group contributions are distributed 60% to the local Intergroup, 30% to World Service, and 10% to Region 6. The Intergroup is governed by an elected board of officers and trustees serving one- to three-year terms, with no paid staff, no outside ownership, and no capital-raising activity. Customer acquisition is community-led, driven by word-of-mouth, sponsorship referrals, healthcare provider awareness, and organic search to the meeting finder.

Name

Overeaters Anonymous

Legal name

Greater New York Metro Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous

Website

https://oanyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Overeaters Anonymous Greater New York Metro Intergroup is a nonprofit Twelve Step fellowship service body that runs 30+ weekly in-person meetings and daily Zoom meetings across the NYC metro area for individuals recovering from compulsive overeating, supported by voluntary contributions and literature sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Twelve-Step Recovery Fellowship

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Twelve-step fellowship
• Compulsive eating recovery
• Peer support meetings
• Eating disorder recovery
• Voluntary contribution fellowship

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Seventh Tradition Voluntary Contributions: Members make voluntary contributions to support the fellowship. The 7th Tradition states 'Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.' A suggested breakdown for groups is: 60% to local Intergroup, 30% to World Service, 10% to Region 6. Suggested minimum average donation of $3.00 or more per meeting. In NYC, contributions tend to be higher ($4-5 typical) due to higher meeting space rental costs.
2. Literature Sales: OA-approved literature including books, pamphlets, and the monthly magazine Lifeline are sold through the OA Bookstore at bookstore.oa.org. Literature is referenced as a core tool of recovery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Greater New York Metro Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous operates a Twelve Step fellowship program for individuals recovering from compulsive overeating, delivering recovery through weekly in-person meetings at over 30 venues across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and daily Zoom meetings. The fellowship provides the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions curriculum, sponsor matching, speaker lists, archived podcasts, the quarterly Metro Memo newsletter, and access to the OA Bookstore for approved recovery literature, self-supported through voluntary member contributions.

Product overview

Overeaters Anonymous Greater New York Metro Intergroup operates as a 12-step fellowship organization offering multiple recovery modalities. The core offering consists of in-person meetings held throughout New York City and virtual/Zoom-based meetings for remote accessibility. Supporting services include a sponsor matching program, speaker list for meeting requests, and a quarterly Metro Memo newsletter. The organization provides recorded podcast content of meetings and special events spanning multiple years. All programming centers on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, supported by nine recovery tools including sponsorship, literature, meetings, telephone contact, writing, action plans, anonymity practice, and service opportunities. Periodic events such as the annual Region 6 Convention and Newcomer Open House supplement the ongoing meeting structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Meetings Weekly in-person recovery meetings held at over 30 locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Washington Heights, including churches, community centers, and public libraries. Formats include literature study, Big Book study, step studies, meditation, and topic discussions, and meetings are open to anyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively.
• Zoom/Virtual Meetings Online recovery meetings conducted via Zoom, offered daily across morning, afternoon, and evening times for members unable to attend in person. Includes daily morning meetings, step studies, literature meetings, and specialty focus groups, with meeting IDs and passwords provided on the website plus phone dial-in access.
• Sponsor Matching Service Service that connects members seeking sponsors with experienced OA members who have completed the program. Includes an intake form for sponsorship preferences and direct email contact with the Member Liaison.
• Speaker List Service Database of experienced OA members available to speak at meetings, with filtering options for special topics including anorexia/bulimia, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, young persons, and relapse recovery experience.
• Newcomer Open House Annual virtual event introducing compulsive overeaters to the OA program, featuring Zoom-based presentations on achieving freedom from compulsive eating and food behaviors. Open participation for prospective members.
• OA Region 6 Convention Annual regional convention bringing together OA members from the Northeast for workshops, speaker meetings, and fellowship. Includes raffle fundraisers with Eventbrite registration.
• OA Podcasts Recorded audio archive of OA meetings and special events covering topics including the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, body image, sponsorship, and recovery experiences. Available as organized annual series dating from 2018 through 2026.
• Metro Memo Newsletter Quarterly newsletter published by the Greater New York Metro Intergroup featuring member stories, recovery experiences, intergroup news, and meeting spotlights. Archives available from 2024 through 2026 and accessible on the website.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OA World Service OfficecoreOthersThe Greater New York Metro Intergroup operates as a service body under OA World Service. World Service provides meeting registration systems, organizational governance (World Service Business Conference/WSBC), literature approval, and maintains the worldwide meeting directory. 30% of group contributions go to World Service per the 7th Tradition breakdown.
• OA Region 6 (North East)coreOthersOA Region 6 covers the North East United States. The Greater NY Metro Intergroup is affiliated with Region 6. 10% of group contributions go to Region 6 per the 7th Tradition. Region 6 organizes conventions including the OA Region 6 Convention (October 16-18, 2026 in Stamford, CT).
• OA Virtual RegionminorOthersOA Virtual Region serves members who participate in online/virtual meetings. The Greater NY Metro Intergroup maintains connections to virtual meeting resources and events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greysheeters Anonymous (GSA): A 12-step fellowship focused specifically on compulsive overeating using a strict food plan and daily weigh-in model. Closely comparable to OA's niche but differentiated by a more prescribed, weigh-in-based abstinence definition.
• Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA): A 12-step fellowship for sex, love, and relationship addiction using the same Twelve Step framework adapted from AA. Highly comparable in operating model, governance, and volunteer-driven meeting structure.
• Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA): A 12-step fellowship modeled after AA for people with all types of eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Directly competes with OA for members in the same target population using a similar peer-meeting model.
• Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA): A 12-step fellowship specifically for food addiction, offering free recovery meetings and a comparable abstinence/sponsorship model. Directly competes with OA for compulsive eaters seeking peer-led recovery, but with stricter abstinence criteria.
• Gamblers Anonymous: A 12-step fellowship for compulsive gamblers, structurally identical to OA — same 12 Steps, same anonymity tradition, same donation-only model. Comparable as a parallel behavioral addiction peer-support organization.

Broad incumbents

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): The original Twelve Step fellowship from which OA's entire program was adapted. Not a direct competitor on condition, but operates the same 12-step, donation-funded, peer-meeting model that defines OA's structure and culture.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA): A global 12-step fellowship for drug addiction, operating on identical Traditions, meeting structures, and donation principles as OA. Comparable as a parallel 12-step nonprofit at greater scale, demonstrating the organizational template OA follows.
• Overeaters Anonymous World Service Office: The global parent service body of the OA fellowship, providing governance, literature approval, and the worldwide meeting directory. The Greater NY Metro Intergroup operates as a service body under it, making it the most direct organizational counterpart.

Emerging players

• Equip: A venture-backed virtual eating disorder treatment provider delivering family-based treatment (FBT) via telehealth. Represents the clinical, technology-enabled competitor model that contrasts with OA's peer-led, in-person model — and a potential substitute for higher-acuity members.
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): A leading advocacy and resource non-profit for eating disorders, operating a helpline and treatment-finder service. Adjacent to OA's target population but delivers clinical referrals and education rather than peer-led recovery meetings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/overeatersanony

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Overeaters Anonymous