Which nursing diagnoses may be appropriate for a client receiving an anorexiant for obesity treatment?

• A. Imbalanced nutrition, more than body requirements
• B. Disturbed body image
• C. Ineffective coping
• D. Risk for obesity

Answer: (A)

An anorexiant works by lowering appetite to help reduce caloric intake, guiding weight loss through better energy balance. The best nursing diagnosis in this scenario is imbalanced nutrition: more than body requirements, because the patient’s current intake exceeds what the body needs, contributing to obesity and needing ongoing monitoring and dietary adjustments. This focus directs care toward limiting calories, planning a reduced-calorie, balanced diet, and tracking intake and weight to ensure progress toward goals. Disturbed body image and ineffective coping can be important in obesity care, but they don’t directly address the nutritional imbalance that the anorexiant therapy targets. Risk for obesity is a broader consideration but not as immediate a problem as the current overnutrition reflected in the chosen diagnosis.