A Step Ahead - Overeaters Anonymous

Dr. Marty Lerner Receives OA Appreciation Award
The OA
Appreciation
Award is
a way to recognize
those
who have been
instrumental in
advancing our
primary purpose
of carrying the
OA message. To be eligible for the award, a
nominee must be a non-OA member whose
efforts have significantly increased awareness
of the problems of compulsive eating and the
effectiveness of the OA program as a solution.
At the Grand Opening of the recent 2010
World Service Convention in Los Angeles,
California, trustee Kayla W. presented Dr. Marty
Lerner with the OA Appreciation Award for being
a staunch supporter of OA for many years.
Dr. Lerner is a licensed and board-certified
clinical psychologist and is the executive director
of an eating-disorders recovery facility in
Florida. He has specialized in the treatment of
eating disorders since 1980 and has authored
several publications related to eating disorders,
as well as numerous magazine and newspaper
articles on the topic.
Dr. Lerner appeared in the video titled,
“American Medical Review Profiles Overeaters
Anonymous.” He has contributed articles to
the Courier, our newsletter for professionals,
2010 World Service
Convention Testimonials
What a great, fantastic time at the Convention.
I met so many friends from different places in
the world. I thank my HP that I could be here.
Awesome workshops.
— Carol, Melbourne, Australia
I had a fantastic time at this, my first Convention
of hopefully many more. It has given
me a wonderful blast of recovery at just the
right moment.
— Kabe, London, United Kingdom
This Convention has been a huge spiritual
awakening for me. I feel so much love for all
of you. I’m looking forward to seeing you in
Cleveland, Ohio [World Service Convention
2013].
— Mette T., Denmark
The World Service Convention was even
better than I expected! Inspirational stories of
and was quoted in the 2002 OA Membership
Survey pamphlet. His treatment facility encourages
participants to attend OA meetings and
provides transportation to and from the meetings.
In addition, the residents of the facility
attend local recovery conventions and other OA
events. Dr. Lerner has made attendance at these
part of the recovery process for his clients at
the treatment center.
In his acceptance speech at the Convention,
Dr. Lerner said:
“The piece that was missing was that
although science knew a lot more about the
physiology and the biochemistry and the physical
part of this disease . . . , and we knew a lot
about the psychological makeup, there was
nothing there on the spiritual side of it. And the
fact of the matter is that it’s not an intellectual
disease. It’s a three-legged stool, and basically
the piece that put it together for me, and what
you all have done for me in my profession and
for the people that I work with, is . . . that final
piece. And the final piece is everybody here
is [part of] a Fellowship. There is a power in
[the] room, and there’s a power that we all
kind of cultivate—our own Higher Power—
and that’s unequaled. Without that piece people
are “white-knuckling” it, but there is no recovery;
there is only a kind of abatement of maybe
some symptom[s] . . . It is the missing link . . .
No profession that I know of . . . has been able
to do what you all have been able to do.”
challenge and recovery abounded. Ideas, tips
and plans to take home, ponder and apply,
were many. Humor, both formal and informal,
helped us laugh at ourselves and at the
so-called real world. Meeting and connecting
with OAers from all over the world and with
old friends—this Convention had it all. And
HP was present everywhere. My recovery has
been strengthened and raised to a new level
thanks to all of you who made it happen,
attended and gave of yourselves. Thank you,
thank you, thank you.
— Suzanne M., Santa Cruz, California
USA
Four years abstinent in OA and this was my
first WSC. What a great experience! I felt the
miracle of the presence of HP surrounding
me in each session and in meeting with fellow
OAers from around the world. I was hoping
Rozanne was going to speak at our grand
opening. I knew she was in frail health and
in her 80s, so when I realized she was about
to be introduced, my heart started racing.
She and the movement she started literally
saved my life. Then, when the nearly 1,000
assembled members rose to greet her, my
heart swelled and tears came to my eyes. I
will never forget the abstinence countdown.
When members with 35, 30, 25 [years of
abstinence] and others started to stand up,
I realized I was witnessing a miracle. The
three-year cure rate for obesity in the U.S.
is essentially zero. Yet, here I was seeing
members bearing witness that our program
of recovery indeed defies the statistics and
the common wisdom. I am reminded of the
words in “Our Invitation to You”: “What
deserves the attention of the still-suffering
compulsive overeater is this: there is a
proven, workable method by which we can
arrest our illness.” These words gave me
hope when I entered the rooms in 2006.
This WSC confirmed that hope. We do have a
proven, workable method to arrest our illness
of compulsive eating.
— Sander B., Marietta, Georgia USA
I had the time of my life. Spending time
with other recovered and recovering compulsive
overeaters is good for my recovery. The
workshops were wonderful. This was my first
Convention and my first time speaking at a
Convention, so I didn’t quite know what to expect.
It exceeded my expectations and didn’t
come anywhere close to my fears. The closing
with hundreds of other compulsive overeaters
saying the OA Promise together brought me
to tears.
— Mike E., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
This was my first OA convention, and it sure
was a WOW experience. So many speakers,
so many topics, so much recovery! Hearing
Rozanne speak and the many speakers during
the opening and closing events, being in a
room of over 800 overeaters all feeling
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