A nurse on an acute care unit is caring for a newly-admitted client who has anorexia nervosa. When the nurse prepares to obtain a morning weight, the client becomes agitated. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

Introduction: Weight monitoring in anorexia nervosa is a critical assessment tool that often triggers significant psychological distress. To maintain a therapeutic alliance while ensuring clinical safety, the nurse must utilize desensitization strategies that prioritize the objective collection of data while minimizing the client's immediate cognitive fixation on numerical weight values. A. This statement is non-therapeutic as it reinforces the client's maladaptive preoccupation with weight and caloric restriction. In the treatment of anorexia nervosa, the healthcare team, not the client’s anxiety, determines the nutritional plan. Offering to adjust meal intake based on the client's fear of weight gain validates the pathology rather than the recovery. B. Asking "why" is often perceived as accusatory and defensive in therapeutic communication. It requires the client to provide a rational explanation for an irrational, anxiety-driven behavior, which can increase agitation. Instead, the nurse should use open-ended statements or validation techniques that focus on the client's feelings without demanding a justification. C. This is the most therapeutic response as it addresses the client's anxiety while still fulfilling the clinical requirement for data collection. "Blind weights," where the client stands with their back to the scale, help reduce the immediate emotional impact of the number, allowing the nurse to monitor physical progress without fueling the client's obsessive thoughts. D. Delaying the weight measurement is an inappropriate clinical action. Consistent, daily morning weights are essential for monitoring the risk of refeeding syndrome and assessing the effectiveness of nutritional interventions. Allowing the client to avoid the scale due to agitation reinforces avoidance behavior and compromises the medical monitoring necessary for safety.