Screen snapshot
{{ totalScore }}/5
{{ screenBand.title }} · {{ followUpLane.title }}
{{ screenBand.short }} {{ thresholdPositionLabel }} Top area: {{ primaryCluster.shortLabel }} Follow-up: {{ followUpLane.shortTitle }} {{ topSignalRows.length ? `${topSignalRows.length} yes item${topSignalRows.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}` : 'No yes items' }} Vomiting/weight-loss cue present

{{ instruction.description }}

  • {{ bullet }}
{{ progressPercent }}%
{{ uxProgressLabel }}
  • {{ question.id }}. {{ question.text }}
{{ card.label }}
{{ card.value }}
{{ card.note }}
Share result

Share this result page with someone you trust to review your answers and result.

Threshold gauge
What this result suggests

The interpretation stays tied to the original 2+ SCOFF cut-point and the endorsed item pattern.

{{ interpretationLead }}

  • {{ point }}
Scoring caution

{{ disclaimerText }}

Cut-point context
Reference Current status Distance Meaning here
{{ row.reference }} {{ row.currentStatus }} {{ row.distance }} {{ row.note }}
{{ cluster.label }}
{{ cluster.itemSummary }}
{{ cluster.valueLabel }}

{{ cluster.note }}

Recommended next actions
  1. {{ step.label }}. {{ step.text }}
Current review facts
  • {{ fact }}
Top signal items

These are the yes answers carrying the current screen signal.

{{ topSignalBadge }}
{{ row.id }}. {{ row.short }}
{{ row.domain }} · {{ row.responseLabel }}
Yes

{{ row.followUpHint }}

No yes items were endorsed on this run.

Higher/lower cue comparison

Pair the endorsed cues with the quieter ones so the current pattern is easy to brief.

{{ focusComparisonBadge }}
Higher-scored cue Lower-scored anchor Why this split matters Copy
{{ row.higherLabel }} {{ row.lowerLabel }} {{ row.note }}
When to seek support sooner

{{ supportNote }}

Answer review
Response ledger

Export the item-level answers as a simple follow-up record.

# Signal Prompt Response Why it matters Copy
{{ row.id }}
{{ row.short }}
{{ row.domain }}
 {{ row.text }} {{ row.responseLabel }} {{ row.why }}
Tags: Diagnostics, Psychology, Psychometrics
Export to PDF Fullscreen
Customize
Advanced
:

Eating-disorder screening is most useful when it turns a hard-to-name concern into a clear next conversation, not when it is treated like a diagnosis. The SCOFF does that with five yes-or-no questions about self-induced vomiting after feeling too full, loss of control over eating, losing more than one stone in 3 months, feeling fat when others say you are too thin, and whether food dominates daily life.

This page keeps the standard score of 0 to 5 and the usual positive-screen boundary of 2 or more yes answers. It then organizes the same answers into a threshold gauge, item-level cues, follow-up lanes, and exportable notes for a self-check, a primary-care handoff, or a support conversation. Those added reading aids make the result easier to brief, but they do not change the underlying SCOFF score.

SCOFF reading path A left-to-right map showing five yes or no questions feeding a 0 to 5 score, a marked 2-plus cut-point, and separate reading aids for endorsed items, medical-priority cues, and follow-up planning. SCOFF reading path Read the five answers, then the total, then the specific yes items and follow-up priority. Five yes/no items Vomiting Loss of control Weight loss, body image, food focus Formal score 0 to 5 Yes = 1, No = 0 Main boundary 2+ Positive screen cue Endorsed item pattern still matters below 2 Top yes items for briefing Vomiting or weight-loss cues Context-based next steps

That distinction matters because a brief screener can only raise suspicion. It cannot tell you which eating disorder is present, how severe it is, or whether another mental or physical problem is shaping the picture. Current guidance also warns against using screening tools alone to decide whether an eating disorder is present. A low total can miss real trouble, and a higher total should lead to fuller assessment rather than self-diagnosis.

If vomiting, rapid recent weight loss, fainting, dehydration, or other signs that physical health is becoming unstable are part of the picture, treat the score as secondary to prompt clinical help. The same applies when eating, weight, or body-image distress is escalating quickly or feels unsafe to manage alone.

Technical Details:

The SCOFF is a five-item categorical screen. Each Yes answer adds 1 point and each No adds 0, so the total can only run from 0 to 5. There are no reverse-scored items. The third question keeps the original threshold of losing more than one stone in 3 months, which is the same as 6.35 kg or 14 lb. On this page, the formal screen stays faithful to that original structure.

The scoring rule is a straight sum of the five item responses.

S = ∑ i = 1 5 y i

Each y value equals 1 for Yes and 0 for No.

Part Standard rule Why it matters
Item scale Yes = 1, No = 0 for all 5 questions Every endorsed item increases the total by the same amount.
Reverse scoring None The score is a count of endorsed cues, not a balance of positive and negative items.
Total range 0 to 5 Higher totals mean more of the screen's warning signs were endorsed.
Usual positive screen 2 or more yes answers This is the familiar cut-point used in the original publication and later evidence reviews.
Weight-loss item More than 1 stone in 3 months The page keeps the original rule and also shows metric and pound equivalents.

The five questions were created to raise suspicion of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in a very short format, not to map every eating-disorder presentation in detail. That is why the item pattern matters. A 1-point result driven by vomiting or rapid recent weight loss deserves a different follow-up tone from a 1-point result driven by food preoccupation alone, even though both totals are formally below the cut-point.

Later evidence reviews still support 2 or more yes answers as the most widely used boundary, with adequate sensitivity for adult screening, but not enough certainty to treat the score as a stand-alone decision. Screening tools such as SCOFF should not be the sole method for deciding whether an eating disorder is present. The best use of the score is as a trigger for fuller assessment, not as proof or disproof.

Pattern Formal SCOFF status Practical reading
0 yes Below cut-point Only limited reassurance on a five-item screen. Ongoing concern can still need follow-up.
1 yes Below cut-point The total is not positive, but the specific endorsed item still deserves a direct look.
2 to 5 yes Positive screen Move toward fuller eating-disorder assessment instead of repeating the same brief screen alone.
Vomiting or rapid weight loss endorsed Not a separate SCOFF band The page marks this as a sooner-review cue because those items can also matter medically.

The behavioral-control, medical-cue, and body-image or preoccupation summaries shown on this page are added briefing aids, not published SCOFF subscores. They regroup the same yes answers so the result is easier to explain. The score, cut-point, and formal positive-screen status stay the same no matter which context or follow-up emphasis you choose.

Everyday Use & Decision Guide:

Answer the questions with the recent months in mind and keep the frame consistent across all five items. The result becomes harder to trust when one answer reflects your worst day, another reflects your average week, and another reflects a much older period. A cleaner screen comes from using the same time window all the way through.

Read the result in this order: total score, threshold position, endorsed items, then the follow-up lane. That sequence helps prevent two common mistakes. One is treating a score below 2 as a full all-clear. The other is letting a score above 2 stand in for a real assessment. In both cases, the yes items explain why the total landed where it did.

The two Advanced menus change the wording of the action plan, not the score. Use context shifts the report toward a self-check, a primary-care handoff, or a support conversation. Follow-up emphasis changes whether the action plan leans more toward balanced review, medical stability, or supportive discussion. The underlying 0 to 5 total and the 2-point cut-point do not move.

  • Use the SCOFF threshold gauge first when you want a quick view of where the total sits relative to the usual 2-plus boundary.
  • Use What this result suggests, the signal cards, and Top signal items when you need to explain which endorsed answers are driving concern.
  • Use the Response ledger or the DOCX brief when you want a short handoff for a clinician, counselor, or trusted supporter.
  • Use the answer record only when a machine-readable copy of the completed result is genuinely useful.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Start the assessment and answer all 5 questions with Yes or No using the same recent-months frame for each item.
  2. If you want to revisit an earlier answer, use the question navigator before finishing the screen.
  3. Once the result appears, read the summary score and the threshold position before looking at the action plan.
  4. Check the endorsed items, the signal cards, and the follow-up lane so you can see whether vomiting or rapid weight loss is affecting the urgency of the reading.
  5. Open Advanced only if you want the follow-up wording tailored toward self-review, a clinical handoff, or a support conversation.
  6. Export the gauge, ledger, DOCX brief, or answer exports only after the completed result matches what you intended to answer.

Interpreting Results:

A total of 2 or more yes answers is the main threshold to trust here. It means the screen is positive and should lead to fuller review rather than another round of isolated self-screening. The result is still not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you which diagnosis, if any, is most likely.

A total of 1 deserves more respect than people often give it. It stays below the formal cut-point, but it still identifies one concrete concern. If that one endorsed item is vomiting after fullness or rapid recent weight loss, the practical next step is usually sooner discussion, not reassurance from the low total. A 0 out of 5 can also be misleading when eating, weight, or body-image distress is still active but not captured neatly by these five questions.

  • 2 to 5 yes: positive screen, so the next move is fuller assessment.
  • 1 yes: below the cut-point, but the flagged item still deserves direct follow-up.
  • 0 yes: brief screen did not flag the current items, but it does not rule out concern.
  • Item 1 or item 3 endorsed: the page raises the follow-up priority because purging and rapid weight change can also matter medically.

Worked Examples:

A positive screen driven by two yes answers

Someone answers Yes to loss of control over eating and Yes to food dominating daily life, while the other 3 items stay at No. The total becomes 2 out of 5, which meets the usual positive boundary. The right reading is not that an eating disorder has been identified. The right reading is that the brief screen has raised enough concern to justify fuller assessment and a more direct conversation about the specific eating pattern that was endorsed.

A low total that still deserves quicker review

Another person answers Yes only to the rapid-weight-loss question. The total is 1, so the screen is formally below the cut-point. Even so, the page moves the result toward a sooner-review lane because recent marked weight loss can matter medically and can be part of restrictive eating. The low total does not cancel that concern.

Why the result is not showing yet

If the gauge and action sections do not appear, the usual reason is simple: at least 1 question is still unanswered. The page does not score partial runs. Once all 5 items have a Yes or No response, the full summary, endorsed-item view, and export options become available.

FAQ:

Does a score of 2 or more mean I have an eating disorder?

No. It means the screen is positive and fuller assessment is warranted. Diagnosis still depends on a broader clinical evaluation and the wider medical and psychological picture.

Why can a single yes answer still matter so much?

Because the SCOFF is short, the content of the endorsed item matters. Vomiting after fullness or rapid recent weight loss can deserve prompt follow-up even when the total stays below 2.

What does "one stone" mean in the weight-loss question?

The original SCOFF item uses more than 1 stone lost in 3 months. That is the same as about 6.35 kilograms or 14 pounds, and this page keeps that original threshold.

Why does changing the context menu not change my score?

Because those menus only change how the follow-up plan is worded and ordered. They do not change the yes-or-no answers, the 0 to 5 total, or the 2-point cut-point.

Why do I still not see a result?

The score appears only after all 5 questions are answered. If the result is missing, look for the unanswered item in the navigator and complete the screen first.

Are my answers stored or uploaded?

Scoring happens in the browser and there is no separate tool-specific server scoring step, but populated links and exported files can still preserve sensitive answers. Treat shared URLs, copied tables, DOCX exports, and downloaded answer record as private health-related information.

Glossary:

SCOFF
A 5-question eating-disorder screener that uses yes-or-no answers and a total score from 0 to 5.
Positive screen
A result that meets the usual threshold of 2 or more yes answers and should prompt fuller follow-up.
Cut-point
The score boundary used to separate a negative screen from a positive one.
Weight-loss item
The SCOFF question about losing more than 1 stone in 3 months, shown here with kilogram and pound equivalents.
Endorsed items
The questions answered yes, which explain what is driving the completed total.

References: