Eating Disorder Questionnaire

What is an Eating Disorder Test?

Struggling with eating disorders may come from distorted self-image and feeling inadequate about body size, which can significantly impact mental well-being and overall quality of life.

Approximately 9% of Americans, totaling 28.8 million, will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, with a higher prevalence among females (8.60%) than males (4.07%) (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders et al., 2020). Globally, eating disorder prevalence rose from 3.5% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018 (Galmiche et al., 2019).

An eating disorder test can help individuals gain insight into their behaviors and attitudes toward food, enabling early intervention and tailored support for recovery.

The Eating Disorder Test (sometimes labeled as the Eating Disorder Quiz) is a self-report assessment that acts like an on-paper interview. Instead of coming up with elaborate answers for quiz questions, patients who have eating disorders need to rate themselves based on the questions.

The questionnaire seeks to assess four categories: restraint, eating concerns, shape concerns, and weight concerns. The patient must rate the items on the questionnaire based on how they felt and acted when eating food for the past four weeks (twenty-eight days).

How to use the Eating Disorder Questionnaire

Your client's journey to eating disorder recovery may be challenging, especially if they are grappling with physical health conditions. First, use this disordered eating quiz to help them navigate such challenges. Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download the test and distribute it to clients

Download the test. If you've reached the point in your sessions with your patient where you are now going to have to assess the severity of their eating disorder properly, then it's best to issue this assessment to them.

Step 2: Instruct them on how to answer and wait for them to give it back

The questionnaire is easy. They must follow the instructions per section, rating themselves based on the past four weeks (twenty-eight days). The ratings range from 0 to 6. These ratings stand for different things per section, so make sure they carefully read what each number stands for per section.

That's mostly what they need to do. Toward the end of the questionnaire, they must indicate their current weight and height. If they're unsure about those, they can give their best estimate. If they're seeing you face-to-face, then it's best that you have the equipment to measure them in your clinic.

There's also a section only meant for females, which asks them if they have missed any menstrual periods over the past three to four months, how many they have missed, and if they take birth control pills.

Step 3: Tally the scores

This version of the Eating Disorder Questionnaire has a simplified scoring system. You have to tally the scores per category (Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern, and Weight Concern), then do the following:

• For each category, calculate its total score by dividing its respective sum by the respective number of items it has
• Then, combine all the total scores and divide by the total number of categories (always 4) to get the global score.
• If they get a score of 4 or higher, whether for a category or global score, it's a cause for concern and should be looked into as soon as possible.

There is no clear designation for whatever score they get. You must know that the higher the score, the higher the concern. If they score below 4, that doesn't mean they don't have an eating disorder. You're going to have to base your interpretations on the ratings themselves.

Step 4: Develop a care plan

After tallying all the scores, you can indicate if they have a severe eating disorder based on what they got per category and what they got as a global score. To reiterate, there is no specific designation for each score, except that 4 or higher means that their eating disorder severity is at the point where there should be cause for concern. Whether they scored higher or lower than 4, your plan will be based on their specific ratings and whatever you have discussed with them. Make sure to tailor-fit the plan to their needs.

When is it best to use this Eating Disorder Questionnaire?

It's best to issue this questionnaire to your patient when you need to assess the severity of their disorder and want to examine how they exercise restraint, what their concerns are about eating (like feeling guilty for eating or fear overeating), and how preoccupied they are with their weight and body shape.

You may have them answer on the spot or take the questionnaire home. Given that you are discussing what is highly likely to be a sensitive topic for them, it would be best to consult with your patient so you don't unnecessarily stress them out.

Who can use the Eating Disorder Questionnaire for their practice?

The test helps assess how one feels about body image, feelings of fatness, and concerns about gaining weight, aiding in comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment planning. The following healthcare practitioners may use this for their practice:

• Dietitians
• Nutritionists
• Pediatricians
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Occupational therapists
• Rehabilitation therapists and workers
• Mental health therapists
• Nurses

So long as the practitioner specializes and is a certified expert when it comes to eating disorders and mental health-related issues, they can use this.

References

Galmiche, M., Déchelotte, P., Lambert, G., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 109(5), 1402–1413. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy342

Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), & Deloitte Access Economics. (2020, June 11). Report: Economic costs of eating disorders. STRIPED. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/