0 of 5 answeredQuestions as published by Morgan, Reid and Lacey in the BMJ (1999). One stone is 6.35 kg or 14 lb.
SDo you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
CDo you worry you have lost Control over how much you eat?
OHave you recently lost more than One stone in a 3-month period?
FDo you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
FWould you say that Food dominates your life?
What the SCOFF screens for, in short
The SCOFF is a five-question screening tool for anorexia and bulimia. Each "yes" scores one point, and two or more suggests a possible eating disorder that's worth assessing with a doctor. The name comes from a key word in each question: Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food.
It's designed to catch as many cases as possible, so some people who score two or more won't have an eating disorder. It's also less sensitive to binge eating disorder and ARFID. Eating disorders affect people of every gender, age, size and background.
By What's Your IQ · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026- Questionnaire
- SCOFF, 5 yes/no questions
- Published
- 1999, Morgan, Reid & Lacey, BMJ
- Scoring
- 1 point per yes; 2 or more = possible eating disorder
- Best at detecting
- Anorexia and bulimia
MORE THAN ONE KIND
Eating disorders look different from each other
The most common eating disorder isn't the one people usually picture. Pick one to see what it involves and what others might notice.
MOST COMMONBinge eating disorderRegular episodes of eating a very large amount in a short time, with a sense of losing control, followed by distress, guilt or shame. Unlike bulimia, there's no regular compensating, such as vomiting.
SIGNS OTHERS MIGHT NOTICE
WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE?
How to raise it gently
Choose a private, calm moment, not during a meal.Talk about feelings and behaviour you've noticed, not weight or appearance.Say you care and you'll support them in getting help.Be patient. The first conversation may not go well, and that's normal.
Commenting on their body, weight or what's on their plate.Giving ultimatums or trying to force them to eat.Expecting them to stop on their own because they can see it's a problem.Taking denial or anger personally; it's often fear.
8.4% · 2.2%of women and men have an eating disorder in their lifetimeA review of studies from 2000 to 2018 found rates rising over time, and many cases never come to the attention of a doctor.2
1999The SCOFF. In its first study, a score of two or more identified every participant with anorexia or bulimia, with about one in eight false positives.1
2011 · metaSerious illnesses. A review of 36 studies found anorexia carries one of the highest mortality rates of any mental health condition, which is why early help matters.3
2013New diagnoses. DSM-5 recognised binge eating disorder and ARFID as distinct conditions.4
2019 · metaMore common than thought. Galmiche and colleagues pooled 121 studies to produce the lifetime figures in the panel.2
- 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.
- Galmiche, M., Déchelotte, P., Lambert, G., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: A systematic literature review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 109(5), 1402–1413.
- Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724–731.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).