Anorexia Nervosa Stages Of Change Questionnaire

ANSOC – Q
Instructions: Each of the items below is made up of 5 statements. For each item‚ please read the five statements carefully. Then se‎lect the statement (or statements) which best describe/s your current attitude or behavior (not how you have been in the past or how you would like to be).
1.The following statements refer to gaining weight:
a) as far as I am concerned‚ I do not need to gain weight
b) In some ways I think that I might be better off if I gained weight
c) I have decided that I will attempt to gain weight
d) At the moment I am putting in a lot of effort into gaining weight
e) I am working to maintain the weight gains I have made
2.The following statements refer to body weight:
a) as far as I am concerned‚ I do not need to weigh at least _____kg (in‎sert your minimal normal weight)
b) In some ways I think that I might be better off if I weighed at least _____kg
c) I have decided that I will attempt to reach at least _____kg
d) At the moment I am putting in a lot of effort to reach at least _____kg
e) I am working to maintain a weight of at least _____kg
3. The following statements refer to parts of the body which may particularly concern you in terms of weight gain (such as hips‚ thighs‚ stomach‚ or buttocks):
a) There is not way I would be prepared to gain weight on these body parts
b) Sometimes I think I would be prepared to gain weight on these body parts
c) I have decided that I am prepared to gain weight on these body parts
d) I am presently trying to gain weight on these body parts
e) I am working to maintain the weight I gained on these body parts
4. The following statements refer to your appearance:
a) I do not want to be a normal weight because I would be less satisfied with my appearance at a weight of at least _____kg (in‎sert your minimal normal weight)
b) I have occasionally thought about being a normal weight because in some ways I would be more satisfied with my appearance at a weight of at least _____kg
c) I have decided to reach a normal weight because I would be more satisfied with
my appearance at a weight of at least _____kg
d) I am presently trying to reach a normal weight because I will be more satisfied with my appearance at a weight of at least _____kg
e) I am working to maintain a normal weight because I am more satisfied with my appearance at a weight of at least _____kg
5. The following statements refer to your health:
a) I do not need to be a normal weight because there are no risks to my health when I weigh below _____kg (in‎sert your minimal normal weight)
b) I have occasionally thought about being a normal weight because of the risks to my health when I weigh below _____kg
c) I have decided to reach a normal weight because of the risks to my health when I weigh below _____kg
d) I am presently trying to reach a normal weight because of the risks to my health when I weigh below _____kg
e) I am working to maintain a normal weight because of the risks to my health when I weigh below _____kg
6. The following statements refer to the importance of body shape and weight:
a) I do not exaggerate the importance of my body shape or weight in determining my happiness and success
b) Sometimes I think that I exaggerate the importance of my body shape or weight in determining my happiness and success
c) I have decided that I need to reduce the importance that I place on my body shape or weight in determining my happiness and success
d) I often try to challenge the importance that I place on my body shape or weight in determining my happiness and success
e) I have succeeded in reducing my tendency to place too much importance on my body shape or weight in determining my happiness and success and want it to stay this way
7. The following statements refer to a fear of fatness:
a) My fear of becoming fat is not excessive
b) I occasionally think that my fear of becoming fat is excessive
c) I have decided that I need to do something about the fear I have of becoming fat because it is controlling me
d) I know that my fear of becoming fat has caused problems and now I am trying to correct this
e) I have succeeded in reducing my fear of becoming fat and I want it to stay this way
8. The following statements refer to weight loss:
a) I would prefer to lose more weight
b) Sometimes I think that it might be time to stop losing weight
c) I have decided that it is time to stop losing weight
d) I am trying to stop losing weight
e) I have managed to stop losing weight and hope to stay this way
9. The following statements refer to body fat versus muscle:
a) I might think about gaining muscle on purpose‚ but I would never think of gaining fat on purpose
b) Sometimes I think that I may need to gain some fat even though I would prefer to have only muscle
c) I have decided that to be healthy I need to have some fat on my body
d) I realize that I need to have some fat on my body and I am working to achieve this
e) I have managed to increase the level of fat on my body which I am trying to maintain
10. The following statements refer to the rate of weight gain:
a) There is no way I would be prepared to gain at least 1kg a week
b) Sometimes I think I would be prepared to gain at least 1kg a week
c) I have decided that in general it would be best for me to gain at least 1kg a week
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to gain at least 1kg a week
e) I am working to maintain my weight by would be prepared to gain at least 1kg a week if necessary
11. The following statements refer to certain shape and weight standards which you may have for evaluating your body (such as only being satisfied with your body when your stomach is flat or when you are below a certain weight):
a) The standards I use to evaluate my body are not too strict
b) Sometimes I think that the standards I use to evaluate my body may be too strict
c) I have decided that the standards I use to evaluate my body are too strict and need to be changed
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to change the strict standards which I use to evaluate my body
e) I have managed to let go of the strict standards which I used in the past to evaluate my body and am hoping to keep it this way
12. The following statements refer to certain foods which you may avoid eating (such as food high in calories or fat‚ red meat or dairy products):
a) There are certain foods which I strictly avoid and would not even consider eating
b) There are certain foods which I try to avoid‚ although sometimes I think that it might be okay to eat them occasionally
c) I think that I am too strict in the foods which I allow myself to eat and have decided that I will attempt to eat foods which I usually avoid
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to regularly eat foods which I usually avoid
e) I used to avoid eating certain foods which I now eat regularly
13. The following statements refer to daily food consumption:
a) There is not need for me to eat 3 standard-size meals and a snack each day
b) Sometimes I think that I should eat 3 standard-size meals and a snack each day
c) I have decided that I need to eat 3 standard-size meals and a snack each day
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to eat 3 standard-size meals and a snack each day
e) I am working to maintain a current eating pattern which includes 3 standard-size meals and a snack each day
14. The following statements refer to time spent thinking about food and your weight (such as thoughts about becoming fat‚ counting the calories or fat content of food‚ or calculating the amount of energy used when exercising):
a) There is nothing wrong with the amount of time I spend thinking about food and my weight
b) The amount of time I spend thinking about food and my weight is a problem sometimes
c) I have decided that I need to use strategies to help me reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about food and my weight
d) I am using strategies to help me reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about food and my weight
e) I used to spend too much time thinking about food and my weight which I have managed to reduce and am working to keep it this way
15. The following statements refer to certain eating behaviors (such as needing to eat food at a specific rate or time‚ moving around on the plate‚ being unable to eat all food on a plate‚ taking longer than others to eat meals‚ ha‎ving difficulty eating with others‚ needing to chew food a certain number of times or needing to stick to the same food plan each day):
a) There is nothing that I need to change about the way I eat my meals
b) I sometimes think that I need to change aspects of the way I eat my meals
c) I have decided that I will try to change aspects of the way I eat my meals
d) I am putting a lot of effort to change aspects of the way I eat my meals
e) I have succeeded in changing aspects of the way I eat my meals and want it to stay this way
16. The following statements refer to feelings associated with eating (such as feeling guilty) and not eating (such as feeling in control):
a) There is no need for me to change the feelings I associate with eating and not eating
b) I sometimes think that I need to change the feelings I associate with eating and not eating
c) I have decide that I will try to change the feelings I associate with eating and not eating
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to change the feelings I associate with eating and not eating
e) I have succeeded in changing the feelings I associate with eating and not eating and want it to stay this way
18.The following statements refer to methods which you may use to control your weight (such as restricting your eating‚ exercising‚ vomiting‚ taking laxatives or other pills). You may se‎lect more than one statement for the different methods you use to control your weight. Please indicate which weight control method/s you are referring to in the blank space/s provided.
a) There is nothing seriously wrong with the methods (_______________) I use to control my weight
b) I have been thinking that there may be problems associated with the methods (_______________) I use to control my weight
c) I have decide that I will attempt to stop using certain methods (_______________) to control my weight
d) I am putting in a lot of effort to stop using certain methods (_______________) to control my weight
e) I have managed to stop using certain methods (_______________) to control my weight and I would like it to stay this way
19.The following statements refer to certain ch‎aracteristics (such as perfectionism‚ low self esteem or feeling a need for control):
a) I do not have any problems in the way I approach life which I need to work on
b) I sometimes think that I may have certain problems in the way I approach life which I need to work on
c) I have certain problems in the way I approach life which I have decided to work on
d) I am actively working on problems in the way I approach life
e) The problems in the way I approach life I have improved and I am trying to keep it this way
20. The following statements refer to relationship problems (such as relationships with family or friends):
a) I do not have any problems in my relationships with others which I need to work on
b) I sometimes think that I may have certain problems in my relationships with others which I need to work on
c) I have certain problems in my relationships with others which I have decided to work on
d) I am actively working on problems in my relationships with others
e) The problems in my relationships with others have improved and I am trying to keep it this way

Rieger‚ E.‚ Touyz‚ S.‚ Schotte‚ D.‚ Beumont‚ P.‚ Russel‚ J.‚ Clarke‚ S.‚ Kohn‚ M.‚ & Griffiths‚ R. (2000). Development of an instrument to assess readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders‚ 4‚ 387-396.

The Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire (ANSOCQ) (Rieger et al. 2000) is a 20-item‚ self-report questionnaire. It is based on the stages of change model developed by Prochaska and DiClemente‚ and designed to evaluate readiness to recover in anorexia nervosa. http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866/opendoc/224781

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