Over-eaters in Dundee some of whom rake through rubbish to feed their addiction will now be able to seek help at a monthly group.
Binge eaters in Tayside currently have to travel more than 60 miles to attend classes run by Overeaters Anonymous (OA). However, due to Dundee’s obesity problem a dedicated volunteer is now beginning her own sessions in the city.
As she is still actively fighting her addiction, the volunteer has asked only to be named as Rosemary.
Over the last three years, the 58-year-old has lost more than four stones thanks to OA and now weighs 14 stones.
She said: “I was a dieter for 30-odd years, but it just would not work. It was only when I joined OA that I realised I actually had a condition called binge eating disorder.
“After being on their programme for just three years, I’ve lost 60 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 24 to size 18 and my confidence has rocketed.”
As Rosemary explains, binge eating can be an addiction, which is why OA is based on the 12 steps similarly used at Alcoholics Anonymous.
These include being able to accept the person is “powerless” over the urge to eat food.
Rosemary said: “This is for people who have an abnormal reaction when eating food. They get constant cravings and after one bite they just cannot stop.
“There are even people in these groups who cannot pass a bin without stopping and looking for food, that’s how bad it is. It’s an illness, just like it is for alcoholics.
“My problem was sugar and I think that’s the same for most of us.
“For myself, it would start when eating something like a jam sandwich and then that was it I was down to the shops to buy all the chocolate bars I could.
“I want to help other people in Dundee as we have a huge problem here, as we do across the whole country.
“It is not good enough that anyone who wants to take part has to either go online or travel all the way to Edinburgh or Glasgow.”
Rosemary’s first class will take place at 11am on Saturday at Gilfillan Church and then the first Saturday of each month from then on.