Chapter 82: Drugs for Weight Loss

Chapter 82: Drugs for Weight Loss

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. A nurse is working with a group of patients. One patient states, “My goal is to reduce my weight from 280 pounds to 230 pounds in 6 months.” What response by the nurse would be most appropriate for this patient?

a.	“Most weight loss occurs in the first 6 months, so you should try to reduce your weight to 200 pounds.”
b.	“Safe and maintainable weight loss should be about 10% of body weight in 6 months.”
c.	“That is a realistic goal for your weight-reduction program.”
d.	“Weight loss of more than 20 pounds in 6 months could be dangerous.”

 

 

ANS:  B

Safe weight loss should be about 10% of body weight in 6 months (ie, 28 pounds for this patient). A loss of 50 pounds in 6 months is unsafe for this patient. Advising the patient to aim for a weight loss of 80 pounds in the first 6 months is less realistic than a reduction of 50 pounds and may harm the patient. Weight loss of more than 20 pounds in 6 months is not dangerous, because it falls within the guideline of 10% of body fat (ie, 28 pounds for this patient).

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Application           REF:   p. 997

TOP:   Nursing Process: Assessment

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential

 

2. A patient asks a nurse which weight-loss diet is most effective. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

a.	“Low-fat diets may be easiest for weight loss, because fat has a higher concentration of calories than proteins and carbohydrates.”
b.	“Most diets don’t work very well for long-term maintenance, so you should ask your provider about medications to lose weight.”
c.	“You should be able to lose 30 to 40 pounds in the first 6 months of an effective weight-loss diet.”
d.	“You should select a diet that has a higher fat ratio to prevent hunger between meals.”

 

 

ANS:  A

For patients watching calories, a low-fat diet makes sense, because fats have a higher concentration of calories per ounce. Drugs are used as adjuncts to weight-loss diets and are reserved for people at increased health risks who have not been able to lose weight after a 6-month program of diet and exercise. The goal for weight loss in the first 6 months is 10% of total body weight. A diet with a higher fat ratio does not necessarily reduce between-meal hunger.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Application           REF:   pp. 997-998

TOP:   Nursing Process: Planning

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Health Promotion and Maintenance

 

3. A nurse is counseling a group of patients who are beginning a weight-loss diet. The nurse discusses the role of exercise in weight management. Which statement by a patient indicates a need for further teaching?

a.	“Exercise has a greater role in weight-loss maintenance than in weight loss itself.”
b.	“Exercise helps by reducing abdominal fat and improving cardiovascular fitness.”
c.	“Once I lose weight, I can reduce the amount of time per week I exercise.”
d.	“I should begin with at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, 5 days per week.”

 

 

ANS:  C

Exercise is most useful for weight maintenance after weight loss has occurred; the amount of exercise recommended after weight loss has occurred is greater than for weight loss itself, so this statement indicates a need for further teaching. The other statements are all correct.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Application           REF:   pp. 997-998

TOP:   Nursing Process: Planning

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Health Promotion and Maintenance

 

4. A 50-year-old patient with a body mass index (BMI) of 26 and a waist circumference (WC) of 37 who smokes asks a nurse about drugs for weight loss. She tells the nurse, “I keep trying to eat less, but it doesn’t work.” What will the nurse do?

a.	Ask her to begin keeping a log of her food intake and activities.
b.	Counsel her to quit smoking to reduce her health risk.
c.	Suggest she begin walking every day to increase the number of calories burned.
d.	Tell her she is a candidate for drug therapy and suggest she contact her provider.

 

 

ANS:  A

Drug therapy can be used for people at increased health risk, such as this woman, but only as an adjunct to diet and exercise and only after a 6-month diet and exercise regimen has failed. The first step should be to ask the patient to keep a log of intake and activity so that she is aware of how many calories she consumes and how many she burns. Counseling her to quit smoking is appropriate in terms of overall health but does not address her current concern. Exercise without diet is not effective, although exercise is a useful adjunct to diet modification. The patient is not a candidate for drug therapy until she has tried a diet and exercise program for 6 months.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Application           REF:   pp. 997-998

TOP:   Nursing Process: Diagnosis

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Health Promotion and Maintenance