KL is a 14-year-old client who has been coming to the clinic every two weeks for treatment of early onset anorexia nervosa. She tells the nurse that she does not see why eating in limited amounts is a problem

Question

The best response the nurse can make is: 1. "Food contains chemical energy needed to power our bodies and maintain body temperature.".
2. "Eating a balanced diet is more important than the amount of food we eat.".
3. "There is no set amount of food we should consume daily, it depends on the individual's appetite.".
4. "Adolescent females must consume at least 3,000 kcal/day to prevent weight loss.".

Answer 1

1
Rationale: Food contains stored chemical energy that provides energy to power our body and produce heat to maintain body temperature. The number of calories we need to meet our daily energy expenditures depends on many factors including age, body size activity level, and metabolic rate. To lose a pound of body fat the energy balance must be altered by approximately 3,500 kilocalories/day. The quality and balance of the diet is more important than the amount of food we eat to ensure that we have all of the nutrients our bodies need to function properly.