The nurse is performing a nutritional assessment on a 15-year-old girl who tells the nurse that she is "so fat." Assessment reveals that she is 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 110 pounds. What is an appropriate response by the nurse?

Question

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Telling the adolescent not to worry, to go on a diet, or share your own experiences at that age is belittling the adolescent's feelings, providing unsolicited advice, or agreeing with her. Adolescents' increased body awareness and self-consciousness may cause eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, conditions in which the real or perceived body image does not favorably compare with an ideal image. The nurse should not belittle the adolescent's feelings, provide unsolicited advice, or agree with her.

The Nurse Is Performing a Nutritional Assessment on a 15-Year-Old