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Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS)3

Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) Test

Understand how you think and feel about food in about 7 minutes. This 37 item screen flags dysfunctional beliefs and emotions to guide diagnosis, therapy, and research.

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Questions: 377 minutes

08:30

September 1, 2026

September 1, 2026
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

29,300 views

2,602 completions

2,271 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

11/15

Food Craving (FC)

Measures the intensity of craving for food and how strongly urges to eat may challenge appetite control.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 6: Low | 7 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 15: High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable level of food craving that may sometimes make appetite control more difficult.

example score

43/70

Beliefs About Normal Eating (BANE)

Assesses beliefs about what counts as normal or healthy eating and how rigid or flexible those standards are.

Balanced views

Mixed/rigid tendencies

Highly rigid beliefs

14 – 32: Balanced views | 33 – 51: Mixed/rigid tendencies | 52 – 70: Highly rigid beliefs

A score of 43 falls in the Mixed/rigid tendencies range, suggesting some less flexible beliefs about normal nutrition that may influence eating-related thoughts and choices.

example score

12/20

Restrictive and Compensatory Practices (RaCP)

Measures the tendency to use restrictive or compensatory eating strategies (e.g., dieting or weight-control behaviors).

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 20: High

A score of 12 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency toward restrictive or compensatory eating practices.

example score

12/20

Concerns About Eating and Weight Gain (CAEaWG)

Measures anxiety and concern about eating and the possibility of weight gain.

Low concern

Moderate concern

High concern

4 – 9: Low concern | 10 – 14: Moderate concern | 15 – 20: High concern

A score of 12 suggests a moderate level of worry about food and potential weight gain compared with the scale range.

example score

38/60

Relationship With Food (RWF)

Measures emotional and behavioral attitudes toward eating, including the degree of maladaptive patterns in one’s relationship with food.

More balanced

Some difficulties

Marked difficulties

12 – 27: More balanced | 28 – 43: Some difficulties | 44 – 60: Marked difficulties

A score of 38 falls in the 'Some difficulties' range, suggesting noticeable but not extreme emotional or behavioral tensions around eating.

example score

110/185

Dysfunctional Eating Beliefs (DEB)

Measures the degree to which a person holds maladaptive or distorted beliefs and attitudes about food and eating.

Low

Moderate

High

37 – 49: Low | 50 – 72: Moderate | 73 – 185: High

A score of 110 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger presence of dysfunctional beliefs about food compared with lower scores on this scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People worried about eating

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand whether their thoughts, emotions, or behaviors around food may be becoming unhealthy or obsessive.

Clients in therapy or care

34%OF USERS

They use it as part of counseling or treatment to pinpoint specific beliefs and feelings that maintain problematic eating patterns.

Clinicians and researchers

25%OF USERS

They administer it to assess eating-related cognitions, support diagnosis, track change over time, or collect standardized study data.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Craving for food (Cff)

Average

Normal range

8.3 — 11.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Concepts of Normal Nutrition (CoNN)

Average

48.8

Normal range

40.4 — 57.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Restrictive and compensatory practices (Racp)

Average

13.5

Normal range

11.3 — 15.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Concerns about food and weight gain (Cafawg)

Average

14.9

Normal range

12.4 — 17.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Relationship with Food (RwF)

Average

47.9

Normal range

40.1 — 55.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Scale of Dysfunctional Beliefs About Food (SoDBAF)

Average

136.7

Normal range

115.6 — 157.8

min.

max.

185

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- This product is healthy and necessary
- Sometimes consuming this product is healthy and necessary
- Avoiding this product is healthy and necessary
- This product is healthy and necessary
- Sometimes consuming this product is healthy and necessary
- Avoiding this product is healthy and necessary
- This food is healthy and necessary
- Sometimes eating this food is healthy and necessary
- Avoiding this food is healthy and necessary

These are 3 of the 37 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Dysfunctional Eating Attitude Scale, DEAS Test

Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

eating behavior

This instrument assesses maladaptive beliefs, thoughts, and emotional responses related to eating. The Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) is intended to help identify dysfunctional eating-related cognitions that may be relevant in the context of disordered eating concerns. It consists of 37 items and typically takes about 7 minutes to complete.

Items sample common domains such as preoccupation with food, negative affect associated with eating, and attitudes that may influence eating behavior and self-evaluation. Results from the Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) can be used to support clinical formulation, guide treatment planning, and contribute to research when interpreted alongside other assessment data and clinical information.

Literature: Alvarenga, M. S., Scagliusi, F. B., & Philippi, S. T. Development and validity of the Disordered Eating Attitude Scale (DEAS). Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2010.