IMBALANCED NUTRITION: LESS THAN BODY REQUIREMENTS Nursing Care Plan

I, for myself, tried intermittent fasting, a 16:8 diet where in you have to stop eating or drinking with calories for 16 hours and then eat your usual meal after. First week of doing it, I experienced mild headache, stomachache very common, and very anxious about the time. The result, however, is very promising a big drop in my weight for two months of doing it. Don't misjudge me, I really love eating but discipline and desire will make a body of your dream. Like this girl Tracey, 23 years old, vlogger and freelance model, maintains her slim body by eating only once each day with adequate intake of liquids. Unfortunately, her obsession to lose weight makes her so thin, so skinny that lead to imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements. Below is a sample of nursing care plan of imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements of Tracey. If you want NCP for imbalanced nutrition: more than body requirements you can also check it out.

Assessment:

Subjective: "I only eat once a day, 'cause I don't want to get fat." as verbalized by the patient.

Objectives:

- Height: 6 feet 2 inches
- Weight: 100 pounds
- BMI considered underweight
- Lack of muscle mass
- Thin appearance
- Bluish discoloration of fingers
- Dry skin

Diagnosis:

Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements related to decrease food intake secondary to anorexia nervosa as evidenced by thin appearance and bluish discoloration of fingers.

Planning:

After 8 hours of nursing intervention the patient will eat daily nutritional requirements in accordance with activity level and metabolic needs and will verbalize the importance of good nutrition and will identify deficiencies in daily intake.

Interventions:

- Explain to Tracey that she needs for adequate consumption of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fluids. Consult with a nutritionist to establish appropriate daily caloric and food type requirements for Tracey, the patient. Encourage the patient's family to bring permitted foods from home, if possible. Give her printed materials outlining a nutritious diet that includes her high intake of complex carbohydrates and fiber and decreased intake of sugar, salt, cholesterol, total fat, and saturated fats. Discuss with Tracey the importance of limiting snacks high in salts, sugar, or fat such as soda, candy, and chips to limit risks for cardiac disorders, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, a disorder in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its needs. Advise the family in evaluating their nutritional patterns. Make snacks as nutritiously important as meals like hardboiled eggs, raw vegetable sticks, peanut butter/crackers, fruits, juices, and cheese.

- Address strategies to improve Tracey's nutrition when eating fast foods such as drink skim milk, avoid French fries, choose grilled foods, and eat salads and vegetables.

- Discuss with the patient possible causes of her decreased appetite. With her decreased appetite, restrict Tracey to liquids with meals and avoid fluids 1 hour before and after meals. Arrange to have high-calorie and high-protein foods served at the times that she usually feels most like eating. To promote appetite, determine the patient's food preferences and arrange her to have them provided, as appropriate. Eliminate any offensive odors and sights from the eating area. Provide a relaxed atmosphere to her and some socialization during meals.

- Encourage Tracey, the patient to rest before meals. Offer frequent, small meals instead of a few large ones, and offer her foods served cold. Control any pain and nausea before meals, if experience any.

- Encourage and help her to maintain good oral hygiene.

Evaluation:

After 8 hours of nursing intervention the patient had eaten daily nutritional requirements in accordance with activity level and metabolic needs and verbalized the importance of good nutrition and will identify deficiencies in daily intake.

For more samples of nursing care plan you are free to check it out in our NCP LIST page.