Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
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This screening tool helps identify symptoms of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. It’s designed for anyone concerned about their eating behaviours, relationship with food, or body image, regardless of age, gender, or background. The test takes 5-10 minutes to complete and is based on validated screening tools including the SCOFF questionnaire, widely used by healthcare professionals. Your responses are completely anonymous and confidential.
What are eating disorders? Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions involving unhealthy relationships with food, eating, body weight, and body image. They affect Australians of all ages, genders, and backgrounds and require professional treatment.
Important Disclaimer: This is a screening tool only, not a medical diagnosis. Eating disorders are treatable with proper support, and full recovery is possible. Please discuss your results with your GP or an eating disorder specialist. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency (such as chest pain, fainting, or severe weakness), call 000 or visit your nearest Emergency Department immediately. Your responses are anonymous and confidential.
Anorexia Nervosa: Severely restricting food intake leading to extreme weight loss, intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, distorted body image (seeing yourself as overweight despite being underweight), and viewing self-worth primarily through body shape and weight.
Bulimia Nervosa: Episodes of binge eating (eating large amounts in short periods) followed by purging behaviours, purging through self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or excessive exercise, feeling out of control during binge episodes, and self-worth heavily influenced by body shape and weight.
Binge Eating Disorder: Regular episodes of eating large amounts of food, often rapidly, feeling out of control while eating, eating when not physically hungry or continuing until uncomfortably full, and feeling guilty, ashamed, or distressed afterwards without regular purging behaviours.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED): Eating disorder symptoms that don’t fit neatly into other categories but can be just as serious and life-threatening. This includes atypical anorexia (all symptoms present but weight remains in “normal” range) and purging disorder (purging without binge eating).
Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, or body shape that interferes with daily life. Strict dieting, counting calories obsessively, or rigid food rituals. Avoiding eating with others or making excuses to skip meals. Excessive exercise that feels compulsive or distressing to miss. Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after eating. Using diet pills, laxatives, diuretics, or appetite suppressants. Wearing baggy clothes to hide body shape or weight loss.
How to complete this screening:
Answer honestly about your experiences and behaviours over the past few months. Think about your typical patterns, not just occasional situations. Choose the answer that best describes your relationship with food and your body. There are no right or wrong answers – this screening is designed to help you understand whether professional support might be beneficial. All questions should be answered for the most accurate results.Note: This screening includes questions about eating behaviours, body image, and control over eating. If any questions feel difficult or triggering, take your time or take a break. Your wellbeing is the priority.
These five questions screen for key features of eating disorders:
Eating Behaviors
Compensatory Behaviors
Binge Eating
SCOFF Questions (Questions 1-5): Two or more “Yes” answers strongly suggests a possible eating disorder and indicates you should seek professional evaluation as soon as possible. The SCOFF has high sensitivity for detecting anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Extended Assessment: Additional questions help identify the severity of your concerns, specific eating disorder symptoms and behaviours, the impact on your daily life and functioning, and whether you need immediate or urgent professional evaluation.
What this means: Your responses suggest symptoms consistent with an eating disorder. This is a serious but treatable mental health condition that requires professional support. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, making early intervention crucial.
Next steps: Book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible – be honest about your eating behaviours and concerns. Request a referral to specialist eating disorder services (available through public health system or private providers). Consider contacting the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline for immediate support and guidance. If you’re a student, approach your school counsellor or university counselling service.
Important to know: Eating disorders are mental health conditions, not lifestyle choices or phases. Early intervention significantly improves outcomes and reduces treatment time. Treatment works – full recovery is possible with appropriate support. You deserve support and don’t have to struggle alone with these feelings.
Medical concerns requiring urgent attention: If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention at your nearest Emergency Department or call 000:
What this means: You’re showing some warning signs or developing unhealthy patterns with food and body image. While these may not yet meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, they indicate you could benefit from support and intervention now.
Next steps: Speak to your GP about your concerns – early intervention can prevent escalation. Consider counselling with a psychologist who specialises in body image or eating concerns (accessible via Mental Health Care Plan). Monitor whether symptoms worsen or begin to interfere more with daily life. Learn healthy coping strategies through resources from the Butterfly Foundation. Contact the Butterfly Foundation Helpline for information and support.
Prevention matters: Addressing concerns early can prevent the development of a full eating disorder. Research shows that early intervention leads to better outcomes. Don’t wait until things get worse to seek help – you’re not “sick enough” to deserve support.
What this means: Your responses don’t strongly suggest an eating disorder at this time. However, if you have ongoing concerns about your relationship with food, body image, or eating patterns, it’s still worth speaking to a healthcare professional.
Remember: Everyone has occasional negative body image thoughts – this is normal in our appearance-focused culture. Diet culture affects most Australians and can create unhealthy relationships with food. If you’re worried about yourself or notice patterns developing, trust your instincts and seek advice. Prevention and early support are valuable and you don’t need to wait for severe symptoms.
Eating disorders are highly treatable, and Australians have access to various evidence-based treatments. Full recovery is possible with appropriate support.
Therapy:
Medical Care: Regular monitoring of physical health (heart rate, blood pressure, bone density), nutritional rehabilitation and weight restoration when medically necessary, treatment of medical complications (heart problems, electrolyte imbalances, bone loss), and coordination between medical team, dietitian, and mental health professionals.
Nutritional Support: Working with an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who specialises in eating disorders, meal planning and nutrition education to normalise eating patterns, learning to eat normally again without rigid rules, and challenging food fears in a supported environment.
Medication: Antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) may help alongside therapy for bulimia and binge eating disorder. Treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or OCD. Note that medication alone is not effective treatment for eating disorders – it must be combined with therapy.
Levels of Care:
How to help: Express concern without judgement using specific observations about behaviours. Avoid commenting on their appearance, weight, or body shape – this can be harmful even when well-intentioned. Don’t police their eating or try to control their food choices – this can increase anxiety. Encourage professional help and offer to attend appointments with them. Be patient – recovery takes time and is rarely linear. Learn about eating disorders through Butterfly Foundation and other reputable resources. Look after your own wellbeing – caring for someone with an eating disorder is emotionally demanding.
What to avoid saying: “Just eat” or “Why don’t you just stop?” (eating disorders aren’t about willpower or choice). “You look healthy/fine” (they may interpret this as “fat” or feel their struggles aren’t being taken seriously). “At least you don’t have anorexia/bulimia” (minimises their suffering and all eating disorders are serious). Making comments about anyone’s body, food choices, or eating habits in their presence. Complimenting weight loss or commenting on weight gain during recovery.
Getting support for yourself: Butterfly Foundation National Helpline: 1800 33 4673 (support and information for families and carers). Support groups for families available through Butterfly Foundation and eating disorder services. Consider therapy for yourself to process your feelings and learn coping strategies. Access education and information about eating disorders to understand what they’re experiencing.
Urgent concerns: If the person’s health is deteriorating rapidly, they refuse all help despite significant medical risk, or there’s immediate medical danger (fainting, chest pain, severe weakness), contact their GP urgently, call 000, or take them to the nearest Emergency Department.
Eating disorders trigger severe medical complications across multiple body systems. Anorexia nervosa leads to osteoporosis, cardiac dysfunction, hypotension, renal impairment, anaemia, and amenorrhoea. Bulimia nervosa causes dental erosion from gastric acid exposure, electrolyte disturbances, cardiac complications, gastrointestinal disorders, and parotid gland enlargement. Binge eating disorder increases risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, and obstructive sleep apnoea. All eating disorders commonly present with chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal. According to the Butterfly Foundation, early intervention significantly reduces complication severity. Encouragingly, many physiological consequences demonstrate reversibility with appropriate treatment and sustained recovery, emphasising the critical importance of timely professional support.
This screening is based on: The SCOFF questionnaire, a five-question screening tool validated for detecting eating disorders in community and clinical settings.
Reference: Morgan, J.F., Reid, F., & Lacey, J.H. (1999). The SCOFF questionnaire: Assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. BMJ, 319(7223), 1467-1468.
Additional reference: Hill, L.S., Reid, F., Morgan, J.F., & Lacey, J.H. (2010). SCOFF, the development of an eating disorder screening questionnaire. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 43(4), 344-351.
Important disclaimer: This online screening tool is not a diagnostic instrument and provides guidance only. It cannot replace professional medical evaluation by a qualified healthcare provider. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that require comprehensive assessment and treatment by trained specialists. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency or thoughts of self-harm, seek immediate help by calling 000 or visiting your nearest Emergency Department. This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not store personal health information and comply with Australian Privacy Principles.