What is CEA-HOW?
A 12-step fellowship for people who suffer from compulsive eating — built on the principles of being Honest, Open-minded, and Willing.
Compulsive Eaters Anonymous — Honest, Open, Willing
The Fellowship Explained
A Fellowship of Recovery
CEA-HOW is a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other — so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from compulsive eating.
We are self-supporting through our own contributions and are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy, and we neither endorse nor oppose any causes.
Our primary purpose is to stop eating compulsively and to carry this message to compulsive eaters who still suffer.
Not a Diet Club
CEA-HOW is not a diet club. We do not count calories, sell products, or promote a specific weight-loss method. Our program is spiritual in nature, based on the same 12 Steps and 12 Traditions that have helped millions recover from addiction.
We believe compulsive eating is a disease — not a character flaw, not a lack of willpower, and not simply a bad habit. This distinction matters because it shapes everything about how we approach recovery.
Many of our members tried diets and willpower for years — often decades — before finding CEA-HOW.
The Disease Model
Compulsive Eating Is a Disease
We believe compulsive eating is a three-part illness: physical, mental, and spiritual. Physically, our bodies react differently to certain foods — particularly sugar and flour — triggering a cycle of craving that a person without this disease simply does not experience.
Mentally, we have an obsession with food that takes over our thinking — before meals, during meals, and after meals. We plan, we scheme, we swear off, and we start again.
Spiritually, we often feel a void that we try to fill with food. Recovery addresses all three dimensions: physical abstinence, mental healing through the 12 Steps, and spiritual growth through connection with a Higher Power of our own understanding.
How CEA-HOW Differs
Both CEA-HOW and OA (Overeaters Anonymous) use the 12 Steps. The key difference is structure: CEA-HOW treats certain program elements as requirements rather than suggestions.
This structure isn't for everyone — and there's no judgment about that. But for those who've tried everything else, it's what works.
The Seven Tools of CEA-HOW
These are the practical actions that support our recovery. Together they form the daily structure that keeps us abstinent and connected.
Food Plan
Three weighed and measured meals daily — no sugar, no flour, no snacking between meals.
Telephone
Four outgoing phone calls daily — connecting with other members and your sponsor.
Meetings
Three CEA-HOW meetings per week — in-person, online, or by phone.
Sponsorship
Working with a sponsor who guides you through the 12 Steps and is available daily.
Writing
Daily written work — journaling, step work, and inventory to uncover patterns and heal.
Literature
Reading recovery literature daily — the Big Book, 12&12, and CEA-HOW materials.
Action Plan
Service and action in the fellowship — helping others as a means of strengthening our own recovery.
Daily Requirements
These are not suggestions in CEA-HOW — they are the structure that has helped thousands achieve long-term recovery.
Weighed & Measured Meals
Three meals daily — weighed and measured, no sugar or flour, committed to your sponsor the night before.
Outgoing Phone Calls
Four calls per day to CEA-HOW members. These calls break isolation and build the recovery network that sustains us.
Meetings Per Week
Attend at least three CEA-HOW meetings per week — in any format that works for you.
Abstinence from sugar and flour is also required. Many members also abstain from wheat. Your sponsor will help you develop your specific food plan based on CEA-HOW guidelines.
"This is not a diet — it is a way of life."— CEA-HOW Program Philosophy
Self-Supporting Through Member Contributions
CEA-HOW has no dues or fees for membership. We are entirely self-supporting through our own contributions. A small voluntary basket is passed at meetings. We are not allied with any outside enterprise and accept no outside donations.
Our primary obligation is to those who still suffer from compulsive eating. If you cannot contribute financially, you are still welcome at every meeting.
Ready to Get Started?
The best way to learn about CEA-HOW is to attend a meeting. You can listen, observe, and decide for yourself. No commitment required.