- Our common welfare must come first; personal recovery depends on the OA unit.
- For the purpose of our group there is only one fundamental authority: a loving God who manifests himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but faithful servants, they do not rule
- The only requirement for OA membership is the desire to stop compulsive overeating.
- Each group must be autonomous, except in matters that affect other groups or LOs considered as a whole.
- Each group has only one goal: to get the message to the person who is still suffering from compulsive overeating.
- An OA group should never endorse, finance or lend the OA name to any related entity or outside company to avoid problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our main objective.
- Every OA group must be self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- OA will never be professional in nature, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- OA as such should never be organized; But we can create service boards or committees that are directly accountable to those they serve.
- OA has no opinion on matters unrelated to its activities; therefore the OA name should never be mixed up in public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we must always maintain our personal anonymity before the press, radio, television, cinema and other public communication media
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our traditions, always reminding us to put principles before people.
