Are there reliable tests for anorexia?
Anorexia is diagnosed on the basis of typical symptoms and a psychological or psychiatric examination. As with other diseases of the psyche, there are therefore no reliable tests in the form of laboratory tests or questionnaires that could prove the disease. Such tests and the physical and psychiatric examination therefore only together and to the exclusion of other causes result in the diagnosis of anorexia.
Physical examinations and a blood test show, for example, a nutrient deficiency and a psychiatric examination show abnormalities in the person’s self-perception. Unfortunately, the examinations and the interpretation of the results are not always entirely clear. Therefore an expert is always needed to look at the person concerned.
Self-tests and questionnaires, such as those offered on the Internet, can therefore indicate a risk of developing an eating disorder, but can never prove that the person has such a disorder. A reliable diagnosis must always be made after careful examination by a doctor.
