The EAT speaks many languages: review of the use of the EAT in eating disorders research.

The Eating Attitudes Test questionnaire (EAT) has been a major instrument for detecting eating morbidity in a great number of studies across the world. The instrument was devised by two Canadian research workers and was initially validated on a Canadian population. Since then it has been used with reasonable success in eating disorders research emanating from English speaking countries, particularly the UK. This paper attempts to focus on the application of the EAT in non-English speaking countries where it was essential to translate it into the language of these countries. Comparative analysis of the results is assessed and the degree of success of the instrument in these studies is evaluated. The outcome of this review could have significant implications for the future use of the EAT in eating disorders research.