Info session on food addictions to be held soon
Ka¯piti residents with a food addiction can get help from Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA).
Do you have an issue with food? Do you have a history of overeating, struggling with your weight or finding yourself thinking obsessively about food? Perhaps you’ve grappled with undereating, anorexia and/or bulimia? Food addiction is manifested in many ways.
Ka¯ piti residents can join the FA recovery programme run by men and women, of all ages, who have a problematic relationship with food.
FA is based on the Twelve Steps of AA. Some members have weight losses ranging from 5 kilos to more than 90 kilos and have been able to maintain healthy body sizes for many years. Anyone who wants to stop eating addictively is welcome in FA. There are no weigh-ins at meetings, and there are no dues or fees.
Failed dieting, secret eating, purge eating and over-exercising, are all common problems.
Sam (not his real name) says, ‘‘I was very secretive about what I was really eating.
‘‘My car was always full of hidden wrappers, driving home to then having a full dinner and ‘treats’ no-one realised I was having. My life was out of control on many levels, not just the food. I just felt so ashamed all the time. As the situation got worse, and I got bigger and bigger, I avoided going out and facing up to other people.’’
Many members find strength and common understanding when they share what has happened before and after joining FA.
In-person FA meetings in the Wellington region have been temporarily moved online due to the Omicron surge.
A Ka¯piti member with 20 years of abstinence notes that the impacts of lockdowns, financial insecurity, and social disruption from Covid has been hugely challenging for people who turn to food as a drug to cope with life.
It can hard for people to find the support they need. With FA meetings now being held on Zoom, free support may be closer than people realise.
Anyone interested in finding our more about FA can visit the FA website (foodaddicts.org).
FA is holding an information session on Sunday, May 15, from 8.30am to 10am, to be hosted on Zoom. For further information, email fanewzealand@hotmail. com.
LOSS OF MATURE TREES MOURNED
It’s such a shame that seven mature po¯ hutukawa trees have been cut down outside the Paraparaumu railway station.
These po¯ hutukawa trees and others planted around the town, including the magnificent display at the start of Manley St, are part of the distinctive character of our area.
These are part of the history of the town and should be preserved and cherished.
Email letterstoeditor@stuff.co.nz. You must include full name, home address, contact phone number and state what paper you are writing to. Neighbourly members are pre-verified and can submit using the form on our newspaper page at Neighbourly.co.nz. Letters should not exceed 250 words. We do not accept pen names. For full conditions about letters, go to stuff.co.nz/about-stuff.
Once felled, they’re gone forever.
I understand the bus depot is being redeveloped, and I’m sure these trees could have been retained as a feature.
I’ve yet to see a plan of the new development – maybe your newspaper could help.
Jan Fletcher Paraparaumu