Severe Malnutrition in a Normal Weight Adolescent Male with Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Study

Due to the significantly greater diagnosed cases in females, direct evaluation of a male presenting with Anorexia nervosa (AN) has infrequently been evaluated in the literature. Further, the typical view of AN often limits the perspective to those who are significantly underweight. Incidence of normal weight adolescents with AN, who are malnourished are increasing in prevalence. As in all patients with ED, a comprehensive, multi-system approach is requisite in the treatment of AN-related malnutrition irrespective of BMI. In a patients, increasing skeletal muscle mass may promote even greater health improvements than simply increasing weight/ fat. Accordingly, resistance training, as a part of a treatment plan, can improve nutrient delivery and utilization, restore weight and mitigate systemic manifestations of malnutrition.