Food Addiction Test

Based on research from Yale University

Food addiction is a behavioral condition that fosters the compulsive overeating of foods that are high in fat or sugar. Brain imaging and other scientific studies have increasingly confirmed the notion that the brain mechanisms in people with food addiction are similar to those in people with other substance dependencies, such as drug or alcohol addiction.

Instructions: Below is a list of questions that relate to life experiences common among people who have exhibited food addiction. Please read each question carefully and indicate the extent to which it applies to you.

Your privacy is protected. All results are anonymous.

Question 1 of 25

I have withdrawal symptoms (e.g., agitation or anxiety) when I try to cut down on certain foods (NOT including caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, or energy drinks).

Never or less than once a month. Once a month. 1-3 times a month. Weekly. Daily or almost daily.

The IDRlabs Food Addiction Test (IDR-FAT) was developed by IDRlabs. The IDR-FAT is based on the work of Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which created the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). The IDR-FAT is not associated with any specific researchers in the field of psychology, psychiatry, or any affiliated research institutions.

The IDRlabs Food Addiction Test was informed by the YFAS, as published in Gearhardt, A., Corbin, W., & Brownwell, K. (2009). Preliminary validation of the Yale food addiction scale. Appetite, 52, 430-436. Meule, A., & Ashley, G. (2014) Five years of the Yale Food Addiction Scale: Taking stock and moving forward. Current Addiction Reports 1.3, 193-205.

The work of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has also informed some of the diagnostic criteria in the form of the widely used psychological instrument, the YFAS, for clinical use especially by qualified mental health professionals. The present test is intended for educational purposes only. IDRlabs and the present IDRlabs Food Addiction Test are independent of the above researchers, therapists, authors, organizations, or their affiliated institutions.

The Food Addiction Test is based on a famous and well-regarded inventory for the assessment of food dependence. However, free online tests and quizzes such as this one are solely first takes and cannot provide accurate assessments of your food addiction. Hence, the test is intended to be used for educational purposes only. A definitive mental health assessment can be made only by a qualified mental health professional.

As the publishers of this free online Food Addiction Test, which allows you to screen yourself for the indications of dependency on certain foods, we have strived to make the test as reliable and valid as possible by subjecting this test to statistical controls and validation. However, free online quizzes such as the present Food Addiction Test do not provide professional assessments or recommendations of any kind; the test is provided entirely “as-is.” For more information about any of our online tests and quizzes, please consult our Terms of Service.

Why Use This Test?

1. Free. This Food Addiction Test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to obtain your scores related to the condition of food dependency.

2. Clinically oriented. The feedback delivered by this instrument is based on the work of M.D.s and Ph.D.s and is designed to deliver a clear clinical picture of the respondent’s current symptoms indicating food addiction as measured according to standardized items.

3. Statistical controls. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.

4. Made by professionals. The present test has been made with the input of people who work professionally with psychology and individual differences research.