When planning care for an adolescent with anorexia nervosa, which nursing problem has the highest priority?

A. Noncompliance with treatment regimen: While noncompliance can affect recovery, it is secondary to the immediate physiological risks posed by malnutrition. Addressing noncompliance becomes relevant after stabilizing the client’s health. B. Disturbed Body Image: Distorted body image is a core psychological issue in anorexia nervosa, but it does not pose an immediate threat to the client’s life. Interventions targeting body image are important but not the first priority. C. Interrupted Family Processes: Family dynamics may influence the client’s condition and recovery, yet they are not life-threatening. Family interventions are supportive and adjunctive to stabilizing the client’s nutritional status. D. Imbalanced Nutrition: less than body requirements: Malnutrition directly threatens the adolescent’s physiological stability, affecting cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine function. Correcting nutritional deficits and preventing complications such as electrolyte imbalance or organ failure is the highest priority in care planning.