Table 1 The STOB screening tool
The STOB Screening Tool Introduction Most people occasionally experience some kind of overeating, for example, during holidays, birthdays, or when someone serves food one really enjoys. That kind of overeating is completely normal. However, there is another type of overeating, binge eating, where one may experience losing control over what, how much, or how quickly they eat. In such cases, a person may feel unable to stop eating, even if they are no longer hungry or have developed stomach pain. Some describe it as being on a moving train, and they can’t stop it or get off. This type of binge eating, where one feels a sense of loss of control, can happen in two ways:  1. In one, a large amount of food is consumed relatively quickly. One may typically search for food in cupboards and drawers and end up eating a lot of food quickly, for example, a sandwich, a roll with toppings, chocolate biscuits and a serving of ice cream.  2. In the other, the amount of food consumed may seem normal to others, but the person still feels a loss of control and an inability to manage their eating. It is the feeling of losing control while eating that determines if Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is present. Below are 6 questions that you should answer as best as you can. Questions  1. In the past 3 months, have you had episodes of binge eating? YES / NO  2. How many times a week have you typically had episodes of binge eating in the past 3 months? Less than once, 1–2 times, 3–4 times; more than 4 times  3. Do you experience a loss of control during a binge eating episode, for example, finding it difficult to control what, how much or how quickly you eat? YES / NO  4. Do you continue to eat when you’re not hungry or after you’ve developed stomach pain? YES / NO  5. Do you binge eat in secret? For example, do you only binge eat when you’re home alone, hide wrappers or bags from food or only eat food that’s already been opened so that it isn’t noticed? YES / NO  6. Do you feel guilty, ashamed or upset after binge eating? YES / NO |  |