Eating Disorder Quiz

Use this quiz to understand if you engage in eating disorder behaviors.

This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice.

Use this calculator to help you determine your ideal fat intake based on your sex, height, weight, activity level, and fitness goal!

Do you often feel preoccupied with thoughts about food, eating, or body image?
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Do you regularly restrict the amount of food you eat to influence your weight or shape?
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Do you experience episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, followed by feelings of guilt or shame?
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Do you engage in behaviors to compensate for eating (e.g., vomiting, excessive exercise, using laxatives)?
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Do you avoid social situations involving food due to fear of eating or being judged?
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Do you feel out of control around food or during eating?
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Do you base your self-worth primarily on your weight or body shape?
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Do you secretly eat or hide your eating habits from others?
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Do you experience significant distress or anxiety related to eating, food, or body image?
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Have you noticed significant changes in your weight (gain or loss) that concern you or others?
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You might be experiencing significant symptoms related to an eating disorder. It’s important to seek professional help from registered dietitian or a mental health specialist.
You may have some symptoms that could be associated with an eating disorder. Consider discussing your concerns with a registered dietitian to explore further.
While you may have occasional concerns, they are less frequent. It’s still beneficial to maintain a healthy relationship with food and body image. If concerns persist, consider seeking advice from a registered dietitian.
You may not be experiencing significant symptoms related to an eating disorder. However, maintaining a healthy relationship with food and body image is important. If you ever have concerns, book an appointment with a dietitian covered by insurance.
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Eating disorders are complex medical illnesses affecting your emotional and physical well-being.There are several different types of eating disorders, but they all affect your eating behaviors.

Some types of eating disorders are restrictive, such as anorexia nervosa.Others are linked with overeating and intense emotional distress, such as binge eating disorder. Our eating disorder quiz can help you understand your eating decisions and relationship with food.If you answer yes to these questions, you should follow up with your healthcare team for supportive next steps.

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What Is An Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder is defined as the disruption of eating behaviors associated with distressing thoughts and emotions.

There are several different eating disorders, and collectively, they can affect up to 5% of all Americans.

Research suggests that eating disorders are caused by several interactions, including genetics, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors. Below are examples of each risk factor.  

Genetics

Biological

Such as:

  • Altered brain chemistry
  • Other health conditions
  • Gender—females assigned at birth tend to be high-risk

Psychological

Such as:

  • Perfectionism
  • Impulsivity
  • Cognitive inflexibility
  • Body image dissatisfaction

Social factors

Such as:

  • Being teased or bullied
  • Experiencing trauma
  • Weight stigma

Contact your doctor if you suspect you have an eating disorder.

They can thoroughly assess you, and together, you can develop a plan to address any health concerns so you feel your best.

Types of Eating Disorders

The Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) recently broadened eating disorders to feeding and eating disorders so physicians can accurately deliver a diagnosis that captures symptoms and behaviors.

There are currently eight categories listed in the DSM-5.

  1. Anorexia nervosa: calorie restriction caused by an intense fear of gaining weight.  
  2. Bulimia nervosa: bouts of overeating followed by purging practices (vomiting, extreme exercising, etc.)
  3. Binge-eating disorder: frequently consuming large volumes of food without the ability to stop. Binge episodes are often associated with distress.
  4. Avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder: selective eating and limited food consumption (more severe than picky eating.)
  5. Pica: eating things that aren’t typically considered food (dirt, grass, etc.)
  6. Rumination: repeatedly regurgitating undigested foods and chewing them again (or spitting them out).  
  7. Unspecified feeding and eating disorders: distressing eating behaviors that don’t clinically qualify as the disorders mentioned above.
  8. Unspecified feeding and eating disorders: distressing eating behaviors that don’t clinically qualify as the disorders mentioned above.
  • Purging disorder: recurrent purging in the absence of a binge.
  • Night eating disorder: waking up during the night to eat (even after having dinner).  
  • Atypical anorexia nervosa: people living with larger bodies lose weight due to anorexia behaviors and are now in the “healthy” body mass index (BMI) range.  
  • Orthorexia: avoiding specific foods perceived to be harmful (non-organic, filled with GMOs, etc.)  
  • Subthreshold bulimia and binge eating disorder: mixed symptoms of binging, purging, and fear of gaining weight.

Signs of an Eating Disorder

All eating disorders have unique signs, but some characteristics are shared. These include:

  • A preoccupation with thoughts about food.
  • Emotional distress linked with eating behaviors.
  • Perfectionism.
  • Impulsivity.
  • Obsessive-compulsiveness.
  • Noticeable personality changes, such as being withdrawn.

Other behaviors are highly individualized and specific to each type of eating disorder.

For example, focusing on outer appearances and weight may be a symptom of anorexia. While having a fear of eating unhealthy foods is more typical of orthorexia.  

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of an eating disorder vary per condition, and it can be impossible to tell if someone has an eating disorder based on their appearance.

Physical symptoms that may indicate an eating disorder include:

  • Weight changes.
  • Brittle hair or weak nails due to calorie restriction.
  • Worn tooth enamel caused by frequent purging.
  • Intestinal distress (changes in bowel routine, stomach cramping or pain, bloating, etc.)