Q. Is there some sort of easy evaluation test for eating disorders?

A. The simplest (and valid) test for eating disorders has only five questions, which goes by the acronym SCOFF, (each letter represents one of five questions). Simply answer yes or no:

1. Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
2. Do you worry you have lost Control over how much you eat?
3. Have you recently lost Over fourteen pounds in a 3 month period?*
4. Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
5. Would you say that Food dominates your life?

Answering "yes" to any two or more of these questions indicates a likely case of an eating disorder.

The SCOFF screening tool was developed by researchers at St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London. Here's the link to the free full text of this study [1]:

*Note: The original question reads, "Have you recently lost more than One stone in a 3 month period?" Therefore, the original "O", stands for "One-stone", which is the British equivalent of 14 pounds. I "translated" the "O" to, "Over 14 pounds."

[1] Morgan JF, Reid F, and Lacey JH.
The SCOFF questionnaire: assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. BMJ 1999;319:1467-1468.

Copyright © 2010 by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD  Published at www.EvelynTribole.com

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