An Eating Disorder Quiz to Test food Attitudes

This eating disorder quiz can help you determine if you have an eating disorder or if you are at risk.

1) Print the eating disorder quiz and circle True or False for each sentence

2) Then read the explanation at the end.

Please keep in mind that this is not a standardized psychological test. It will only help you determine if you should get further help for food obsession. Only a professional can diagnose if this a a serious problem.

Answer True or False on the Eating Disorder Quiz

Even though people tell me I’m thin, I feel fat.

True or False

(Female) My menstrual periods are irregular of absent. (male) My sex drive is not as strong as it used to be.

True or False I get anxious if I can’t exercise.

True or False

I worry about what I will eat.

True or False

If I gain weight, I get anxious and depressed.

True or False I would rather eat by myself than with family and friends.

True or False

Others talk about the way I eat.

True or False

I get anxious when people urge me to eat.

True or False I don’t talk much about my fear of being fat because no one understands how I feel.

True or False

I enjoy cooking for others, but I usually don’t eat what I’ve cooked.

True or False

I have a secret stash of food.

True or False When I eat, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.

True or False

I lie about what I eat.

True or False

I don’t like to be bothered or interrupted when I’m eating.

True or False If I were thinner, I would like myself better.

True or False

I like to read recipes, cookbooks, calorie charts and books about dieting and exercise.

True or False

I feel guilty when I eat.

True or False

I avoid some people because they bug me about the way I eat.

True or False When I eat, I feel bloated and fat.

True or False

My eating habits and fear of food interfere with friendships or romantic relationships.

True or False

I binge eat.

True or False

I do strange things with my food (cut it into tiny pieces, eat it in special ways, eat it on special dishes with special utensils, make patterns on my plate with it, secretly throw it away, give it to the dog, hide it, spit it out before I swallow etc.)

True or False

I get anxious when people watch me eat.

True or False

I am hardly ever satisfied with myself.

True or False

I vomit or take laxatives to control my weight.

True or False I want to be thinner than my friends.

True or False

I have said or though “I would rather die than be fat.”

True or False

I have stolen food, laxatives, or diet pills from stores or from other people.

True or False

I have fasted to lose weight.

True or False In romantic moments, I cannot let myself go because I am worried about my fat and flab.

True or False

I have noticed one or more of the following: cold hands and feet, dry skin, thinning hair, fragile nails, swollen glands in my neck, dental cavities, dizziness, weakness, fainting, rapid or irregular heartbeat.

True or False

Discussion :

This eating disorder quiz is merely a guide for you.

In our society, which is obsessed with weight, none of the above behaviors are normal or healthy. But, due to the unhealthy demands for unrealistic thinness, most women, and many men will mark a few items as ‘true’, without having an eating disorder.

Be aware however, that the more items that you’ve marked as ‘true’ the more serious your situation becomes. Once you’ve determined a problem, please consult your physician and/or a mental health professional.

You can recover from an eating disorder, but most of those who’ve done it, had professional help to get on track. Getting the information you need is only a start - not a substitute for professional help.

It is very hard to confide in someone that you or someone you love has an eating disorder, but once you've taken the next step and gotten the help you need, you'll be glad you did.

Source: Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders Inc. 2005

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