Eating Disorders Checklist

Checklist for symptoms of eating disorders

YES NO

1.    Do you feel society pressures you to be thin?
2.    Do you feel you must be thin to be OK?
3.    Are you preoccupied with food?
4.    Do you feel guilty about eating?
5.    Do you feel the need to be superior and perfect in academics, athletics and weight control?
6.    Do you feel your weight is one of the few aspects of your life which you can control?
7.    Do you diet excessively and/or abuse laxatives, diet pills or diuretics?
8.    Do you feel you have become isolated from your family and friends?
9.    Do you prefer eating alone?
10.    Do you count all the calories hidden in every bite you eat?
11.    Do you ever consume large amounts of food in a frenzy of hunger?
12.    Do you ever induce vomiting after eating, particularly after a binge?
13.    Do you exercise excessively?
14.    Do you feel fat despite the fact that others tell you that you are thin or OK?
15.    Does your weight fluctuate dramatically?
16.    Have your menstrual periods ceased or become irregular?
17.    Do you have trouble concentrating?
18.    Do you often feel depressed and unhappy with yourself?

If you or someone you know answered "YES" to 5 or more of the above questions then you should check out some of our additional information on eating disorders or get some help.

This checklist is based on the description of eating disorders found in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), copyright 1994, American Psychiatric Association.

This page was authored by Shirley Reierson, MSW, LICSW