Updated
Original VAYEMA symptom and impact self-check – not a validated scale
Restrictive eating concerns
Answer the symptom statements below to see which experiences and areas of daily life you report as most affected. These are original VAYEMA questions, not a validated diagnostic scale. No clinical severity or probability score is calculated.
Answers are processed only in this page by this assessment. They are not submitted, monitored or automatically saved. No name, email or account is required. Use a private device and clear your answers when finished.
For adults aged 18 and over. This self-check cannot diagnose or rule out a condition. Concerns about a child require an age-appropriate professional assessment.
Thinking about the past four weeks, how well does each statement describe your experience?
Additional context – not included in any questionnaire score
These are original VAYEMA questions, not a diagnostic instrument or a validated severity scale. They summarise the experiences you select and do not predict a diagnosis or future harm. Background condition information; this source does not endorse this self-check.
Why medical assessment is part of the first step
Restrictive eating can affect physical health in ways that are not obvious from appearance or a conversation. The assessor needs to consider current symptoms, recent changes, relevant behaviours and medical findings. The NHS overview describes physical checks alongside questions about eating and mental health. A psychological appointment alone should not be assumed to provide that evaluation.
Ask which professional will assess medical needs and how urgent concerns are handled. If the receiving service cannot provide the necessary checks, it should explain the appropriate route. The website worksheet cannot determine that it is safe to wait. A person who is fainting, markedly weak, confused or experiencing chest symptoms needs prompt medical attention rather than another online result.
Describe the eating-related pattern in your own words
A clinician may ask about restriction, fear around eating or weight change, rigid routines and other behaviours that affect nutrition or health. You can begin with what feels difficult rather than a diagnostic term. For example, ordinary meals may cause distress or plans may increasingly depend on rules that are hard to change.
There is no need to present yourself as matching every symptom on a list. The understanding anorexia guide explains the broader pattern. Mention experiences that do not seem to fit as well as those that do. The assessor needs an accurate account, not a persuasive case that you have the most recognisable form of the disorder.
Recent changes and the wider course matter
The assessment may explore how the difficulty began, whether it has intensified, previous periods of restriction and earlier care. A recent change can be important even when you have managed similar concerns for a long time. Describe what is happening now rather than assume that a past diagnosis or treatment plan settles the current level of need.
Approximate dates are enough to begin. Bring previous reports if readily available, but do not postpone an appropriate appointment while gathering a complete history. You can say which details are uncertain. The purpose is to understand the course and current risks, not to reconstruct every meal or prove that the situation has become severe enough to deserve attention.
Weight is relevant clinical information, not the whole assessment
The diagnostic discussion may include body weight, growth or changes over time in context. That does not mean a single BMI determines illness severity, medical stability or eligibility for care. The NICE eating-disorder guideline advises against using a single measure to determine whether treatment is offered. Other restrictive presentations can also need urgent attention.
You do not need to measure yourself at home or enter numbers into this worksheet. If being weighed is distressing, explain that and ask how necessary measurements and results will be handled. The clinician should discuss their purpose without letting distress remove the need for appropriate physical assessment. Looking different from a stereotype does not make restriction or another eating disorder harmless.
Physical symptoms and investigations need professional interpretation
Tell the receiving clinician about dizziness, fainting, weakness, palpitations, digestive symptoms, changes in energy or other health concerns. Medicines, supplements and relevant medical conditions also matter. Examinations, blood tests or an ECG may be considered according to the presentation. The clinician should explain what each check is intended to clarify and who will act on the results.
The MEED guidance supports trained clinicians in recognising and managing medical emergencies. It is not a home diagnostic test or permission to wait when a checklist threshold is not met. Do not use a normal result from one test to rule out the whole problem. Medical and psychological findings need to be interpreted together by an appropriate professional.
Assessment also considers thoughts, emotions and daily life
A professional may ask about body-related beliefs, anxiety, low mood, concentration, relationships and the meaning of eating-related rules. These questions help explain the pattern and plan treatment. They should not be used to suggest that physical consequences are unimportant or that adequate nutrition can wait until every emotional question is resolved.
The NIMH eating-disorder resource describes co-occurring mental-health concerns. Explain what remains manageable as well as what has become difficult. Someone may continue working while withdrawing from relationships or using nearly all their energy to maintain routines. The assessment should hear the hidden burden rather than judge the situation only by visible achievement.
A screening questionnaire cannot provide an anorexia diagnosis on its own
Published eating-disorder screens can identify concerns that warrant further discussion, but they do not replace a clinical interview and medical evaluation. A questionnaire may not capture every eating-disorder presentation equally well. A low score should not override concerning behaviours or symptoms, and a high score cannot determine which treatment setting is safe.
This page uses original unscored preparation notes rather than reproducing a validated screening instrument. There is no diagnostic cut-off, probability estimate or automatic referral decision. You can bring a result from elsewhere if useful, while explaining what the questions missed. Repeated testing is not necessary before contacting a professional and should not become a way of checking whether you are ill enough.
Fear of assessment can be discussed before and during the appointment
You might worry about being judged, losing control or being told to make changes that feel frightening. Say what concerns you. The professional should explain the purpose of questions and examinations, the limits of confidentiality and what decisions may follow. Acknowledging fear can help the conversation; it does not mean the health risks should be ignored.
Ask about practical arrangements such as bringing someone, having time to clarify information or receiving a written summary. Where urgent treatment or legal questions arise, appropriate local clinicians must explain the process. A website cannot decide capacity or authorise compulsory care. The aim is informed participation wherever possible, with the level of support guided by actual medical and psychological needs.
Family involvement and age-specific expertise require clarity
For children and adolescents, assessment needs appropriate developmental, medical and safeguarding expertise. Parents or carers often have an important role, but care should not blame the family or expect them to interpret risk independently. Adults may choose relevant involvement according to their circumstances and the applicable clinical arrangements.
VAYEMA’s family support can address relatives’ questions within its scope. It is not automatically a specialist paediatric eating-disorder service. Ask who is being assessed, what expertise is available and how information will be shared. A relative can assist with contact or transport without automatically receiving every detail of an adult’s private clinical discussion.
What the assessment should recommend
You should understand the immediate health priorities, the working diagnosis or uncertainty, and the recommended care setting. The plan should explain medical monitoring, nutritional support, psychological treatment and who is responsible for each. If another specialist service is needed, that should be stated rather than implied within a general promise of integrative care.
The anorexia treatment guide explains possible approaches. A private assessment is not an automatic route into residential treatment, but outpatient preference cannot establish safety either. Ask how the recommendation follows the findings, what alternatives are appropriate and what happens if symptoms change before the next planned review.
Use these notes only to make professional care easier to access
You can leave any prompt blank, review what you wrote or choose to download it. The worksheet does not send answers to VAYEMA, monitor symptoms or create an appointment. Keep any downloaded file private and share information through an agreed clinical channel. A spoken account is equally valid preparation.
For non-emergency contact, ask about assessment and the relevant eating-disorder expertise. Severe physical deterioration, inability to maintain food or fluids, immediate danger or inability to remain safe needs urgent professional help. Do not wait for an online score or routine inquiry response. The appropriate first step is assessment of the person, not completion of a website task.
Frequently asked questions about anorexia assessment
Do I need to know my BMI before requesting help?
No. Necessary measurements can be considered by the clinical team in context. A single number does not determine the full diagnosis, medical risk or need for treatment. You can seek assessment because restriction, eating-related distress or physical symptoms are concerning, without measuring yourself repeatedly at home.
Is the worksheet a validated anorexia test?
No. It contains original, unscored prompts to prepare a conversation. It does not reproduce SCOFF or another published instrument and cannot diagnose anorexia or clear someone for outpatient care. Professional assessment includes medical and psychological information that an online worksheet cannot provide.
What if I do not look underweight?
Appearance does not establish safety, and other restrictive eating-disorder presentations can be serious. Tell the clinician about the pattern, changes and physical symptoms. Do not wait for further weight loss to seek help or use a stereotype as a reason to dismiss your concerns.
Will normal blood tests mean there is no eating disorder?
No single investigation can establish or exclude the whole clinical picture. Tests answer particular medical questions, while history, behaviours, symptoms and other findings remain important. Ask the clinician what the results mean in context rather than use one reassuring value as a reason to stop seeking appropriate support.
Can someone accompany me?
Ask about the arrangements when booking. A trusted person may help with practical support or remembering information, while you can also discuss privacy and time alone with the clinician. For younger people, age-appropriate family and safeguarding arrangements are important. The role should be clear rather than assumed.
What should I do if I feel physically unwell before the appointment?
Seek timely medical advice and describe the symptoms and eating concerns directly. Fainting, chest symptoms, confusion, severe weakness or other acute deterioration may require urgent assessment; immediate danger needs emergency services. Do not wait for a routine booking or use this worksheet to decide that it is safe to delay.
Resources and references
[1] NHS: Anorexia nervosa assessment and overview
[2] NICE NG69: Eating-disorder recognition and treatment