The following questionnaire can help you decide if you have an eating disorder, or if you are at risk of developing one. The easiest way to take the test is to print it out and then check the items that describe you. Then read the explanatory paragraph at the end.
• Even though people tell me I'm thin, I feel fat.
• I worry about what I will eat.
• If I gain weight, I get anxious and depressed.
• I would rather eat by myself than with family or friends.
• [Female] My menstrual periods are irregular or absent.
• [Male] My sex drive is not as strong as it used to be.
• Other people talk about the way I eat.
• I get anxious when people urge me to eat.
• I don't talk much about my fear of being fat because no one understands how I feel.
• I enjoy cooking for others, but I usually don't eat what I've cooked.
• I have a secret stash of food.
• When I eat, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop.
• I lie about what I eat.
• I don't like to be bothered or interrupted when I'm eating.
• I have missed work or school because of my weight or eating habits.
• I tend to be depressed and irritable.
• I feel guilty when I eat.
• I avoid some people because they bug me about the way I eat.
• When I eat, I feel bloated and fat.
• My eating habits and fear of food interfere with friendships or romantic relationships.
• I binge eat.
• I do strange things with my food (cut it into tiny pieces, eat it in special ways, eat it on special dishes, 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.)
• I get anxious when people watch me eat.
• I am hardly ever satisfied with myself.
• I vomit or take laxatives to control my weight.
• I have said or thought, "I would rather die than be fat."
• I have stolen food, laxatives, or diet pills from stores or from other people.
• 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.
As strange as it seems in our thin-obsessed society, none of the above behaviors is normal or healthy. The more items you have checked, the more serious your problem may be.
Please check with your physician or a qualified mental health counselor to prevent medical and psychological problems.
Calorie Count is a useful tool for calorie intake calculation and diet planning. Calories do count and it's also important how efficiently your body burns them. Calorie Count also contains a diet planner with professional advice on food combining, detox, suggested daily calorie intake for men and women, calorie intake from beverages consumed, as well as some useful guidelines for speeding up the metabolism and making the most of it. People make the mistake of thinking they have to make drastic changes to lose weight and get in shape, but the secret is to make small changes and incorporate them into their lives permanently.
