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The Eating Attitudes Test , created by David Garner, is a widely used 26-item, standardized self-reported questionnaire of symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders. The EAT is useful in assessing "eating disorder risk" in high school, college and other special risk samples such as athletes. EAT has been extremely effective in screening for anorexia nervosa in many populations.
The EAT-26 can be used in non-clinical as well as clinical settings not specifically focused on eating disorders. It can be administered in group or individual settings by mental health professionals, school counselors, coaches, camp counselors, and others with interest in gathering information to determine if an individual should be referred to a specialist for evaluation for an eating disorder. It is ideally suited for school settings, athletic programs, fitness centers, infertility clinics, pediatric practices, general practice settings, and outpatient psychiatric departments.
The EAT-26 uses a six-point scale based on how often the individual engages in specific behaviors. The questions may be answered: Always, Usually, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, and Never. Completing the EAT-26 yields a "referral index" based on three criteria: 1] the total score based on the answers to the EAT-26 questions; 2] answers to the behavioral questions related to eating symptoms and weight loss, and 3] the individual's body mass index calculated from their height and weight. Generally, a referral is recommended if a respondent scores "positively" or meets the "cut off" scores or threshold on one or more criteria.
Permission to use the EAT-40 or EAT-26 can be obtained from David Garner through the EAT-26 website. Instructions, scoring, and interpretive information can be obtained from the EAT-26 website at no charge. Completion of the EAT-26 with anonymous feedback on the EAT-26 website is possible.