Eating Attitudes Test in Japan.

A Japanese version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) was developed and validated using a group of anorectics and Japanese female controls. Its sensitivity was considered to be low for anorectics, especially for the fasting type anorectics. A cross-cultural comparison of the EAT scores of anorectics showed some significant differences among those found in Japan, Canada and Germany. A survey of eating disorders among 286 Japanese female students was carried out with a Japanese EAT. Three cases of bulimia nervosa were identified in this survey, although no clear case of anorexia nervosa could be identified. The EAT seemed to be useful to screen cases of bulimia nervosa and sensitive to distinguish abnormal eating attitudes among the young females in Japan.