Question

The nurse is caring for a female client who is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. The client asks the nurse if she needs to lose weight. Which response by the nurse is best?

A) "No. In fact, your body mass index suggests that you are already underweight."
B) "Yes. Your body mass index suggests you are slightly overweight."
C) "Your weight is just fine. Don't worry about it."
D) "Maybe. Let's look at your risks for cardiovascular disease."

Answer 1

The optimal nurse's response is to (A) inform the client that she is underweight based on her BMI, which calculates to approximately 18. BMI calculations indicate that a BMI less than 18.5 categorizes an individual as underweight.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 115-pound female client who stands 5 feet 7 inches tall is under the nurse's care. The patient queries the nurse about her need to reduce weight. The nurse's best answer would be, "No. Your body mass index actually indicates that you are underweight already."

To calculate the client's BMI, we convert her height to inches (5 feet * 12 inches/foot + 7 inches = 67 inches) and use the standard BMI formula, which is (weight in pounds * 703) / (height in inches)^2. Plugging in the numbers we get: (115 pounds * 703) / (67 inches * 67 inches), which equals approximately 18. This BMI falls below the normal range of 18.5 to 24.9, thereby making the client underweight according to standard BMI categories.

A BMI less than 18.5 is indicative of being underweight, while a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a normal weight, 25-29.9 is considered overweight, and greater than 30 is obesity. It is important to note that BMI may not be a perfect indicator of an individual's health as it does not account for factors such as muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and ethnic differences.