What are the signs of an eating disorder?
There is a simple five-question screening test for eating disorders, 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?" The original "O", stands for "one-pound", which is the British equivalent of 14 pounds.
[1] John F Morgan, Fiona Reid, J Hubert Lacey
The SCOFF questionnaire: assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. British Medical Journal 1999;319:1467-1468.
“For signs of anorexia, note if your daughter stops gaining weight from one year to the next, when she still should be growing. Rigidity, irritability, depressed or anxious mood and isolative behavior are added cause for concern. Body image distortion is a hallmark sign of an eating disorder: this is characterized by a lack of ability to perceive a realistic impression of body size. The signs of bulimia are much more subtle. Usually, people with bulimia nervosa are of normal weight, and are quite good at hiding the behavior of vomiting after eating. In general, I advise parents to pay attention to their own instincts. If you suspect there’s a problem, there probably is. It’s important to keep a dialogue with your daughter about having a healthy body image, i.e., realistic women, not things you see in magazines and in the media.
“For signs of anorexia, note if your daughter stops gaining weight from one year to the next, when she still should be growing. Rigidity, irritability, depressed or anxious mood and isolative behavior are added cause for concern. Body image distortion is a hallmark sign of an eating disorder: this is characterized by a lack of ability to perceive a realistic impression of body size. The signs of bulimia are much more subtle. Usually, people with bulimia nervosa are of normal weight, and are quite good at hiding the behavior of vomiting after eating. In general, I advise parents to pay attention to their own instincts. If you suspect there’s a problem, there probably is.
