The mother of an adolescent diagnosed with an eating disorder believes it must be genetic since the child is adopted and the mother is very weight and exercise conscious. The nurse realizes that:

Question

1. The child must have inherited a genetic predisposition to an eating disorder.
2. The mother is setting a good example with eating and exercise.
3. The mother is obsessed with weight and exercise, and the child learned the behavior.
4. The child must have a neurotransmitter abnormality.

Answer 1

3. The mother is obsessed with weight and exercise, and the child learned the behavior.

Rationale:
Many families of clients with eating disorders are achievement and performance oriented, with high ambition for the success of all members. In these families, body shape is related to success, and priorities are established for physical appearance and fitness. A family's focus on professional achievement as well as on food, diet, exercise, and weight control may become obsessive. The mother states that she is weight and exercise conscious, which could be a reason as to why the child has an eating disorder. There is not enough information to determine whether the child does or does not have a genetic predisposition to an eating disorder or a neurotransmitter abnormality. The mother is not setting a good example by being overly focused on eating and exercise.