Orthorexia Test: See How Rigid or Distressing Your Healthy Eating Habits Are
This orthorexia test screens for rigid healthy-eating rules, preoccupation, and distress. Adapted from the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale, it offers an instant self-assessment and optional report.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Orthorexia Test is a free, confidential 10-question self-assessment, based on the validated Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS). It takes about 8 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 3 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
When 'eating clean' stops feeling like a choice
Orthorexia is not about eating well. It is about how much healthy eating starts to run your life. This test uses the ten items of the validated Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale to look at the rules, the preoccupation, and the distress, not the contents of your plate.
Ten validated DOS statements
The ten items of the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale, reworded for clarity while keeping their meaning. Each is rated from 1 (this does not apply to me) to 4 (this applies to me), giving a total from 10 to 40.
Rules, preoccupation, and guilt
Not how 'clean' you eat, but how much healthy eating takes over: rigid food rules you struggle to break, thoughts about eating that fill your day, and anxiety or guilt when you eat something you judge as impure.
Where 'healthy' turns harmful
The DOS convention: a total of 30 or more points to orthorexic eating behavior, and 25 to 29 suggests you may be at risk. Higher scores reflect more fixation and more impact on everyday life, work, and relationships.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated DOS items | Rarely | Yes, all 10 items |
| Clear DOS cutoffs (25 and 30) | Rarely | Yes, clearly explained |
| Distinguishes orthorexia from other eating concerns | No | Yes, with a cross-link |
| Honest about the diagnosis question | Rarely | Yes, not yet a DSM diagnosis |
| Non-judgmental, non-triggering framing | Often clinical | Yes, supportive |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, clinician reviewed |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–40 in total. Your result falls into one of 3 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–24 | Little indication of orthorexia | Your DOS score sits in the lower range. The lowest possible total on this scale is 10, and your result is below the point where a focus on healthy eating tends to look rigid or distressing. |
| 25–29 | You may be at risk | Your DOS score falls in the range the research flags as at risk. Some of the rigidity and preoccupation that define orthorexia may be present, without reaching the higher threshold. |
| 30–40 | Orthorexic eating behavior likely | Your DOS score is at or above 30, the threshold the research links to orthorexic eating behavior. That suggests healthy eating may be taking up a great deal of room and coming at a real cost. Support can make a genuine difference. |
Orthorexia vs. a medically necessary diet
The Orthorexia Test asks about rigidity, distress, and the impact of eating rules on everyday life. Many people follow strict food rules for reasons that have nothing to do with orthorexia: diabetes, a severe allergy, celiac disease, or another condition requiring dietary care. A prescribed diet can still feel stressful, and that distress alone does not establish orthorexia. A clinician can help distinguish necessary restrictions from additional rules that go beyond medical advice and increasingly limit eating, relationships, or daily activities.
If you are unsure which describes you, review the rules with the clinician who manages your condition and a registered dietitian familiar with disordered eating. Do not test the distinction by eating a food you have been told to avoid. A medical restriction can matter even when exposure does not cause an immediate noticeable reaction. Ask which precautions protect your health and which extra restrictions could safely be addressed with professional support.
What to do if your results concern you
A DOS score in the at-risk or likely range is a reason to discuss your relationship with food with a qualified professional. Avoid responding by adding new restrictions or by changing a prescribed diet on your own. A therapist and registered dietitian experienced in eating disorders can help assess the rules, anxiety, and nutritional concerns together. If perfectionistic, rigid thinking shows up outside of food too, our Cognitive Distortions List can help you describe that pattern before an appointment.
It also helps to explore possible overlap with related concerns. Our Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Test, Anorexia Nervosa Test (Eating Attitudes Screening), and Body Dysmorphia Test (BDD) each screen for a different piece of the picture, and the Psychology.com therapist directory can help you find someone who treats eating and body-image concerns specifically.
Bring examples of meals you avoid, situations that cause guilt, and the effects on work or shared meals. Also mention any medical dietary instructions and recent changes in what you can eat. A primary care clinician can assess physical health alongside psychological support. The Eating Disorder Test in the Psychology.com tests hub offers a broader screening, although further questionnaires are optional and should not delay care.
How accurate is an online orthorexia test?
The published DOS has validation research, including an English-language evaluation. This page adapts its wording, so evidence for the published scale cannot automatically establish the accuracy of this website version. Treat the score as a way to describe patterns and begin a conversation. It cannot determine whether your diet supplies enough nourishment or establish a diagnosis.
A result below the suggested threshold does not rule out a serious eating concern. Eating disorders can occur across body weights, including in people who appear healthy. Seek support when restrictions, guilt, or preoccupation interfere with your life, even if the result seems reassuring. A professional assessment considers medical needs, nutritional status, daily functioning, and other possible eating concerns together.
Methodology & sources
This test adapts the ten items of the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS), developed and validated by Barthels, Meyer, and Pietrowsky (2015) to measure orthorexic eating behavior: an obsessive focus on eating food one considers healthy or pure. Items are reworded for this educational self-assessment, and rated from 1 (this does not apply to me) to 4 (this applies to me). The ten ratings add up to a total from 10 to 40, following the DOS convention where higher scores reflect stronger orthorexic tendencies. In the validation research, a total of 30 or more indicated orthorexic eating behavior and 25 to 29 marked people considered at risk. For comfort we keep the same four-point rating for every item, exactly as the published scale does.
Orthorexia nervosa is not, at least not yet, a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-11, and researchers are still refining how to define it (Cena et al., 2019). That is one reason this is a screening for reflection and education, not a diagnosis. It also measures something narrower than a general eating-disorder screen: the DOS is about fixation on food purity and healthfulness, while broader concerns such as restriction, bingeing, or body-image distress are better captured by our eating disorder test. If food or your body cause you distress in ways this scale does not name, that broader test is a better place to start.
The DOS thresholds are screening conventions, not diagnostic boundaries or measures of nutritional safety. This adaptation has not been separately validated. Researchers continue to discuss how orthorexia should be defined and distinguished from medically required diets and other eating disorders. The consensus proposal listed below emphasizes distress, impairment, and clinical context; it does not turn a questionnaire result into an official diagnosis.
References
- Barthels F, Meyer F, Pietrowsky R. Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale - construction and evaluation of a questionnaire measuring orthorexic eating behavior. Z Klin Psychol Psychother. 2015;44(2):97-105.
- Cena H, Barthels F, Cuzzolaro M, et al. Definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa: a narrative review of the literature. Eat Weight Disord. 2019;24(2):209-246.
- Psychometric evaluation of the English version of the Düsseldorf Orthorexie Scale (DOS) and the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among a U.S. student sample. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30196526/
- A consensus document on definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9803763/
- National Institute of Mental Health. Eating Disorders: What You Need to Know. nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Orthorexia Test. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/orthorexia
Orthorexia Test FAQ
What are the signs and symptoms of orthorexia?
Orthorexia, or orthorexia nervosa, describes an obsessive focus on eating only foods a person believes are healthy, clean, or pure. The signs that set it apart from ordinary healthy eating are the rigidity and the cost: strict self-imposed rules, guilt or anxiety when those rules are broken, and a preoccupation with food quality that starts to crowd out work, relationships, and flexibility. It is the fixation and the distress that matter, not the food itself.
What score suggests orthorexia?
This test follows the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale convention. Scores run from 10 to 40, and higher means more orthorexic tendencies. A total of 30 or more is the threshold the research links to orthorexic eating behavior, while 25 to 29 suggests you may be at risk. Scores below 25 show little indication on this scale. As with any screen, a number is a prompt for reflection, not a verdict. These suggested thresholds cannot establish accuracy for reworded items or assess nutritional safety.
How is this different from an eating disorder test?
The Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale looks specifically at fixation on healthy or 'clean' eating and the rules around it. A broader screen looks at restriction, bingeing, purging, and body-image distress. The two can overlap, and orthorexic patterns sometimes sit alongside other eating concerns. If you want the wider picture, our eating disorder test combines two validated instruments and is a good companion to this one.
Is orthorexia an official diagnosis?
Not yet. Orthorexia nervosa is not currently listed as a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-11, and experts are still working out agreed criteria (Cena et al., 2019). That does not make the distress any less real. Many people experience genuine impairment from orthorexic patterns and benefit from support, whether or not a formal label exists.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. It is for education and self-reflection only. Only a licensed clinician can assess disordered eating or any related condition. If your results or your relationship with food concern you, please reach out to a professional. You can seek help even when your score is low; physical health, food restriction, and daily functioning need context that an online questionnaire cannot provide.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your individual answers are scored in your browser and are never sent to us or linked to you. They stay in this tab so you can return to your result, and closing or clearing the tab clears them. If you ask us to email the PDF, we receive your summary scores with your email address, never your individual answers. No account is needed.
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