Binge Eating Scale – BES
Measures the severity of binge eating symptoms, including behavioral, affective, and cognitive aspects.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Binge Eating Scale – BES was developed by Gormally, Black, Daston, & Rardin (1982). It is designed to measure Binge eating severity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Behavioral Symptoms, Affective/Cognitive Symptoms.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Symptoms | 2,4,5,8,9,11 | 6 |
| Affective/Cognitive Symptoms | 1,3,6,7,10 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Statement 1 (Least Severe), 1 = Statement 2, 2 = Statement 3, 3 = Statement 4 (Most Severe).
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 46. Interpretation guidelines:
- No or minimal binge eating: 0 – 17
- Mild to moderate binge eating: 18 – 26
- Severe binge eating: 27 – 46
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.