ANOREXIA NERVOSA (“Relentless pursuit of thinness”)



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ANOREXIA NERVOSA is a potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by extreme weight loss, intense fear of gaining weight, body image disturbances, strenous exercising and peculiar food-handling patterns. It can result in mortality rates of between 6-21%, 95% are females between 12 and mid-30’s. Usually, the onset of this eating disorder is associated with a stressful life events
Nursing Care
- Promote improved nutrition
- Administer tube or IV feedings
- Weigh the client daily, record 1 and 0, and observe him/her during meals and bathroom activities
- Avoid discussing food, recipes, restaurants and eating
- Provide a pleasant mealtime environment and adop realistic expectations of how much the client will eat
- Frequent, small meals are more acceptable
- Set a time limit of about half an hour
- Collaborate with a dietitian
- Acknowledge and recognize the efforts of a client who meets weight gain goal
- Behavior modification can help
- Promote effective individual coping
- Involve the client in his/her own treatment planning
- Give client the opportunity to practice problem-solving
- Explore the client’s feedlings about their families, their roles and autonomy within the family system
- Promote an improved perception of body image
- Help the client improve his/her self esteem
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