Binge Eating Scale (BES)

The Binge Eating Scale (BES) is a self-report questionnaire developed by Gormally, Black, Daston, and Rardin in 1982 to help measure the severity of binge eating behaviors and eating-related emotional difficulties. It was originally created to better understand patterns of overeating among individuals struggling with obesity and unhealthy eating habits. The assessment examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connected to food, including emotional eating, food cravings, loss of control while eating, guilt after overeating, secretive eating, and difficulty recognizing hunger or fullness cues. Many people may occasionally overeat, but this scale focuses on repeated behaviors and emotional struggles that may interfere with daily life, self-esteem, physical health, or emotional well-being. The BES is commonly used for screening, research, and self-awareness purposes. It is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, but it may help identify eating patterns that could benefit from healthier coping strategies, lifestyle changes, supportive conversations, or professional guidance.

Read each group of statements carefully and choose the one statement that best describes your usual experiences, feelings, or eating behaviors. There are no right or wrong answers. Try to answer honestly based on how you normally feel and behave around food and eating situations.

This assessment is designed for adults and older teenagers who want to better understand their eating habits, emotional eating patterns, food cravings, and possible binge eating behaviors. Participation is voluntary, and responses should reflect your real experiences as accurately as possible.

Higher scores indicate greater binge eating related distress, loss of control, emotional eating tendencies, and problematic eating behaviors.

I don’t feel self-conscious about my weight or body size when I’m with others.

I don’t have any difficulty eating slowly in the proper manner.

I feel capable to control my eating urges when I want to.

I don’t have the habit of eating when I’m bored.

I’m usually physically hungry when I eat something.

I don’t feel any guilt or self-hate after I overeat.

I don’t lose total control of my eating when dieting even after periods when I overeat.

I rarely eat so much food that I feel uncomfortably stuffed afterwards.

My level of calorie intake does not go up very high or go down very low on a regular basis.

I usually am able to stop eating when I want to. I know when “enough is enough.”

I don’t have any problem stopping eating when I feel full.

I seem to eat just as much when I’m with others (family, social gatherings) as when I’m by myself.

I eat three meals a day with only an occasional between meal snack.

I don’t think much about trying to control unwanted eating urges.

I don’t think about food a great deal.

I usually know whether or not I’m physically hungry. I take the right portion of food to satisfy me.