Screening · SCOFF
Eating problems screener
Please answer the following five questions:
Timeframe: recently, especially the past few months
For self-understanding only, not a diagnosis · you can exit anytime; answers are not saved or uploaded
About this instrument
The SCOFF is the most widely used quick screen for eating disorders — just five questions designed to flag whether a fuller evaluation is worthwhile. It is anonymous and stays in your browser.
The SCOFF was published by Morgan, Reid and Lacey in 1999. Its five items map to its name: Sick (purging), Control, One stone (weight loss), Fat (body image), Food dominates life.
It is designed for high sensitivity rather than precision: 2 or more 'yes' answers indicate further assessment is warranted. With five yes/no items it is among the most used primary-care screens for anorexia and bulimia.
A positive result means 'worth a conversation,' not a diagnosis. Eating disorders are treatable, and earlier help leads to markedly better outcomes.
Source: SCOFF Questionnaire (Morgan, Reid & Lacey, 1999) · The SCOFF is freely reproduced in the published literature and clinical guidance; Chinese items are our careful translation of the published wording. · Original source
Item preview (5)
Please answer the following five questions:
- Do you make yourself sick (induce vomiting) because you feel uncomfortably full?
- Do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
- Have you recently lost more than one stone (about 6.4 kg / 14 lb) in a three-month period?
- Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
- Would you say that food dominates your life?