Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)

The EAT-26 is one of the most widely used standardized measures to screen for symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders.

Questions: 26
Duration: 8 min
Original title: EAT-26 — Eating Attitudes Test
Adaptation: Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)
Authors: Garner, D.M., Olmsted, M.P., Bohr, Y. & Garfinkel, P.E.
Created: 1982

The EAT-26 is one of the most widely used standardized measures to screen for symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders. It assesses critical cognitive and behavioral facets, including extreme weight concerns, food preoccupation, and the compensatory mechanisms often seen in bulimia nervosa. Rather than yielding a formal diagnosis, it provides clinicians with a robust severity index that highlights when a comprehensive clinical interview is warranted.

Designed for both adolescents and adults, the EAT-26 translates complex, often concealed psychological struggles into a structured format. This enables clinicians to track shifts in a patient's relationship with food and body image over the course of treatment, and supports early discussions around recognizing anorexia nervosa.

Example result

Fictitious result, computed from a sample set of answers.

Overall score

24/ 78

Self-report screening questionnaire for eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder). Short 26-item version derived from the original EAT-40. It measures the frequency of attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors characteristic of eating disorders across three dimensions: dieting/restriction, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control. Usable from adolescence (13 years and older) and in adults, in clinical as well as non-clinical populations. It serves as a screening tool: a high score does not establish a diagnosis but indicates the need for a comprehensive clinical assessment.

généralefemales · students · Canada · n = 140 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

078

M = 9.9 ± 9.2

généralefemales · community sample · United States · n = 675 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

078

M = 11.9 ± 10.8

généralemales · community sample · United States · n = 698 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

078

M = 5.2 ± 5.3

cliniquefemales · pathology: anorexia nervosa · Canada · n = 160 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

078

M = 36.1 ± 17

For information

Cut-off≥ 20clinical range / probable eating disorder

Respondent has more eating concerns than 86 percentile of healthy females, putting them above the clinical cutoff.

Garner et al. (1982)

Scoring

Sum (asymmetrical scoring: 3-2-1-0-0-0), total score from 0 to 78, each item is rated on a 6-point scale (from 0 to 3).

Dieting / dietary restriction

18/ 39

Assesses behaviors and concerns related to the avoidance of high-calorie foods and the pursuit of thinness.

items 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 26

généralefemales · students · Canada · n = 140 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

039

M = 7.1 ± 7.2

généralefemales · community sample · United States · n = 675 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

039

M = 7.9 ± 8

généralemales · community sample · United States · n = 698 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

039

M = 2.8 ± 3.5

cliniquefemales · pathology: anorexia nervosa · Canada · n = 160 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

039

M = 19.9 ± 10.9

Bulimia and food preoccupation

4/ 18

Measures thoughts about food, binge-eating episodes, and associated purging behaviors.

items 3, 4, 9, 18, 21, 25

généralefemales · students · Canada · n = 140 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

018

M = 1 ± 2.1

généralefemales · community sample · United States · n = 675 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

018

M = 1.4 ± 2.6

généralemales · community sample · United States · n = 698 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

018

M = 0.6 ± 1.6

cliniquefemales · pathology: anorexia nervosa · Canada · n = 160 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

018

M = 8 ± 5.2

Oral control

2/ 21

Assesses self-control regarding food and perceived social pressures to gain weight.

items 2, 5, 8, 13, 15, 19, 20

généralefemales · students · Canada · n = 140 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

021

M = 1.9 ± 2.1

généralefemales · community sample · United States · n = 675 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

021

M = 2.6 ± 2.9

généralemales · community sample · United States · n = 698 · 1988 · Rosen et al. (1988)

021

M = 1.8 ± 2.3

cliniquefemales · pathology: anorexia nervosa · Canada · n = 160 · 1982 · Garner et al. (1982)

021

M = 8.3 ± 5.8

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What the test measures

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) evaluates three primary clusters of disordered eating psychopathology. It maps both the cognitive preoccupations and the behavioral patterns that sustain these conditions:

Dieting: Extreme avoidance of high-calorie foods, intense preoccupation with body shape, and an overwhelming drive for thinness that often points to anorexia.
Bulimia and food preoccupation: Recurrent binge-eating episodes, intrusive thoughts about food, and compensatory behaviors central to bulimia.
Oral control: Self-control around eating, taking longer to eat meals, and perceived external pressure to consume food.

The instrument is validated for screening adolescents and adults presenting with potential eating pathology or severe body dysmorphic disorder symptoms centered on weight.

When and why to use it

Clinicians incorporate the EAT-26 at various stages of therapeutic care to structure their assessment and monitor progress:

Intake screening: To rapidly identify the presence of eating disorder risk in patients presenting with weight concerns or seeking to understand binge eating disorder.
Differential support: To highlight specific clinical targets, such as distinguishing between restrictive behaviors, purging cycles, and rigid perfectionism.
Monitoring change: To track whether cognitive rigidity around food and weight softens as treatment progresses.

Using a validated score anchors clinical intuition, offering a reliable metric to gauge the severity of eating psychopathology and to justify specialized intervention.

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The questions

Please check the box that best reflects your current situation for each of the following statements. Answer all questions honestly.
1. I am terrified of being overweight.
Probes the cognitive fear underlying restrictive behaviors.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
2. I avoid eating when I'm hungry.
Explores the suppression of natural biological hunger cues.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
3. I find myself preoccupied with food.
Assesses the degree of cognitive space occupied by food-related thoughts.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
4. I have had binge-eating episodes where I felt I couldn't stop eating.
Evaluates the occurrence and perceived loss of control during binge episodes.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
5. I cut my food into small pieces.
Identifies ritualistic eating behaviors often used to artificially prolong meals.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
6. I am aware of the calorie content of the foods I eat.
Checks for hypervigilance regarding nutritional values and energy intake.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
7. I particularly avoid foods high in carbohydrates (e.g., bread, rice, potatoes, etc.).
Probes the rigid categorization and avoidance of specific macronutrients.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
8. I feel that others would prefer it if I ate more.
Explores the patient's perception of social scrutiny regarding their food intake.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
9. I vomit after eating.
Directly screens for purging behaviors used as a compensatory mechanism.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
10. I feel extremely guilty after eating.
Assesses the emotional distress and shame following food consumption.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
11. I am preoccupied with a desire to be thinner.
Evaluates the persistent cognitive drive toward weight loss.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
12. When I exercise, I think about burning calories.
Explores whether physical activity is primarily driven by compensatory calorie-burning.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
13. Other people think I am too thin.
Assesses the external feedback the patient receives about their low body weight.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
14. I am preoccupied with the thought of having fat on my body.
Probes body image distortion and the specific fear of adiposity.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
15. I take longer than others to eat my meals.
Identifies behavioral pacing strategies used to minimize actual food intake.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
16. I avoid foods with sugar in them.
Checks for the rigid restriction of sweet or sugar-containing foods.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
17. I eat diet foods.
Assesses the reliance on modified or low-calorie food products.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
18. I feel that food controls my life.
Evaluates the subjective feeling of powerlessness in relation to eating.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
19. I have self-control around food.
Explores the ego-syntonic pride or rigid discipline applied to eating habits.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
20. I feel that others pressure me to eat.
Assesses the perceived external demands or interpersonal friction around meal times.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
21. I spend too much time and thought on food.
Quantifies the intrusive nature of food-related rumination.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
22. I feel uncomfortable after eating sweets.
Probes the emotional discomfort triggered by consuming non-safe foods.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
23. I engage in dieting.
Checks for active, ongoing attempts to restrict nutritional intake.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
24. I enjoy having an empty stomach.
Explores the physical sensation of emptiness as a desired state of safety.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
25. I have the urge to vomit after meals.
Assesses the urge to purge, even if not behaviorally acted upon.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never
26. I enjoy trying new, rich foods.
Explores the capacity for culinary flexibility and hedonic eating.
- Always
- Very often
- Often
- Sometimes
- Rarely
- Never