A NEW support group is launching in Bromsgrove to offer help and advice to anyone who suffers from problems linked to overeating.

The group is launching on Tuesday, January 28 from 6.30pm at Bromsgrove Methodist Church, and aims to help people with eating disorders and issues with food.

The group is being organised through Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, and will run on the last Tuesday of every month at the centre.

An attendee from one of the charity’s other groups, said: “The Beat emotional overeating support group I attend offers a safe and supportive environment in which to meet other people facing similar challenges to myself. For all of us, it is the beginning of a journey as we seek to understand the reasons that lead us to eat to feed an emotion rather than a genuine hunger. For me, this kind of change can only come as part of a group.

“The contributions of the other members are invaluable to me as we share ideas for positively changing habituated behaviours. Although I don't yet know how I will beat this, I suspect the process of overcoming this will be a long process; one where other people are able to 'see' my situation clearer than I can myself and involve incentivising change in small achievable steps, rather than through big sweeping changes or 'will power'.“

The group aims to provide an open non-judgmental environment for peer support for anyone who binge eats, compulsively overeats, feels they have emotional eating issues, or is struggling with their weight.

It allows people to share their problems, thoughts and successes, and meet other people in similar situations in a stigma-free environment.

For more information on the group, write to eosg@b-eat.co.uk or call 01603 753307.