Analysis Of Anorexia Nervosa

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Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that can become fatal. It is characterized by a preoccupation with food to the point of starvation, weight loss, and a disturbance in a person’s body image. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V) lists diagnostic criteria as the following: “restriction of energy intake relative to requirement, leading to a significantly low body weight”; “intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain”; and “disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced” (Sheppard Pratt Health System, 2015).
Anorexia has many etiologies, including but not limited to: heredity, as evidenced
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348). The initial treatment for a patient with anorexia nervosa should be centered on imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements (Halter & Varcarolis, 2014, p. 347). Interventions for this diagnosis are focused on restoring nutritional balance. Some nursing interventions are: feeding, nutrition management, nutrition therapy, and weight gain assistance (Ackley & Ladwig, 2014, p. 559). Patient education focuses on making changes that improve nutrition. Teaching should include identifying contributing factors of the disorder and understanding psychological and physical effects of the disorder. For example, using a cognitive-behavioral approach to identify and confront the patient’s thoughts and beliefs will lead to a change in the patient’s eating behaviors (Halter & Varcarolis, 2014, p. …show more content…
J., & Ladwig, G. B. (2014). Nursing Diagnosis Handbook. Maryland Heights: Elsevier Mosby.
Davidson, T. (2015). The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Anorexia Nervosa, 1(5th). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, Cengage Learning. Retrieved September 7, 2016, from http://go.galegroup.com.ezp-01.lirn.net/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=lirn21153&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CCX3623300106&asid=63b842ace5f769bec80035747079fcca
Halter, M. J., & Varcarolis, E. M. (2014). Varcarolis ' Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach. St. Louis: Elsevier.
Sheppard Pratt Health System. (2015). Anorexia Nervosa. Retrieved from The Center for Eating Disorders: http://www.eatingdisorder.org/eating-disorder-information/anorexia-nervosa/
Walsh, B. T. (2013, May 1). The Enigmatic Persistence of Anorexia Nervosa. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(5), 477-484. Retrieved September 7, 216, from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12081074
Winston, A. P. (2012). The Clinical Biochemistry of Anorexia Nervosa. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 49,

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