Obesity a Problem in HIV Population

By ALICIA CHANG – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Early in the AIDS epidemic, people infected with the virus often lost a dangerous amount of weight, at times looking gaunt and ghostly. Today, they are facing the opposite problem. Many who have HIV, but not full-blown AIDS, are struggling with obesity, which has overtaken "wasting syndrome" as the top concern.

AIDS researchers and advocacy groups say the waistlines of HIV patients are growing right along with the girths of uninfected Americans as the disease shifts from a death sentence to a chronic condition.

Exact numbers are hard to pin down. But new research suggests that nearly two-thirds of the HIV population may be overweight or obese, mirroring the U.S. population.

Doctors say there's a growing need to screen people with the AIDS virus for obesity, which raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol problems.

"We used to worry that they would lose weight and become wasted," said Dr. Nancy Crum-Cianflone of TriService AIDS Clinical Consortium in San Diego. "Maybe we should redirect our concerns to making sure they are maintaining a healthy, normal weight."

About a million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS, federal statistics show. At the height of the epidemic, many had wasting syndrome, the uncontrollable loss of 10 percent of body weight along with other symptoms like fever or diarrhea.

A turning point in the AIDS crisis came with advances in modern medicine. Powerful drugs that keep the virus at bay also boost the body's immune system. The result is that more HIV patients are living longer than their counterparts two decades ago, and may be prone to poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

Some experts offer psychological explanations. Since the hallmark of HIV has been weight loss, some patients may be piling on the pounds to avoid looking abnormally thin.

"It's very clear now that HIV is no longer a wasting disease in America," said Dr. John T. Brooks, an epidemiologist in AIDs prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brooks did not participate in the study.

Crum-Cianflone became interested in the problem after noticing her patients were steadily getting fat and decided to study how common obesity was in the HIV population.

She and her colleagues pored through medical records of 663 patients with HIV at Navy hospitals in San Diego and Bethesda, Md. Researchers analyzed medication records, duration of HIV infection and whether patients had a history of diabetes or high blood pressure.

Sixty-three percent in the study were overweight or obese. Only 3 percent were underweight and none were considered to be "wasted." Among those with full-blown AIDS, about 30 percent were overweight or obese.

The numbers are particularly striking because most of those studied were in the military (some were military spouses) and tend to be in better shape than the rest of the population. Previous research had suggested about 40 percent of HIV patients are overweight.

Researchers did not find a connection between the AIDS drugs and excess weight. When patients gained weight, they tended to put on an average of 13 pounds over a decade. Those who became infected younger, those who had the virus for a longer time, or those who had high blood pressure were more likely to get fat.

Results were to be presented Thursday at an infectious disease meeting in San Diego.

"These folks are in more ways than not becoming like everyone else. If they're overeating, they're going to get fat," said Dr. Michael Saag, director of the AIDS Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who had no role in the study.

"It would be very sad to survive HIV and die of something else that was preventable," said Brooks of the CDC.

At AIDS Project Los Angeles, pudgy HIV patients outnumber the very thin.

"Many of our clients don't even know what wasting is. They never knew that look," said Janelle L'Heureux, a nutritionist with the AIDS service group.

The problem is more evident in those who are poor, because they more often eat junk food and don't have money to join a gym. To help obese HIV patients, the group offers classes on how to read nutrition labels and cook healthy meals.

Jack Gebhardt, 56, of Los Angeles, said he started packing on the pounds after he quit smoking shortly before he was diagnosed with HIV 12 years ago. After working out three times a week, Gebhardt, who is 5-feet-8, went from 217 to 172 pounds.

A diabetic who is on disability, Gebhardt currently cannot afford a gym membership and has seen his weight creep back up to 182.

"I'd still like to lose a lot more weight," he said.

Walking for Fitness - Weight Loss - Exercise

The benefits of running vs walking Walking for weight loss Exercise walking can help control disease progression and relieve symptoms. Regular exercise including walking decreases your risk of death.

The Master Cleanser

The original Master Cleanser diet/fast otherwise known as the Lemonade Diet is a complete body detoxifying cleanse that has been around for over 60 years. The most successful of any diet of its type, has recently been made famous by Beyonce Knowles, Robin Quivers, and Isaac Hayes. Originally developed by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, the program was first used to treat ulcers. Later it was discovered to be a successful treatment of many other diseases, a disease preventative tool, and a contributor to maintaining overall good health. It's the easiest way to regain your vitality, and to give a rest to your digestive organs, allowing your body to repair and clean out. (more)

My Weight Loss Journey

These are pictures throughout my weight loss.

Diet Mentality - Stop dieting...unless you wanna get fat!

Human beings were meant to eat in accordance with their body's natural wisdom and so remain as slender as animals in the wild.

Free Weight Loss programs

The race to fitness is on and a lot of people are getting into the band wagon. Some people do it to achieve a sexy body, some people just do it because they are embarrassed with the body they have now, while others do it simply to remain fit and healthy. As such, many fitness programs are out in the internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centers all over. Some are too expensive to afford that one may even lose weight just by trying to work out the money needed to pursue these fitness programs.

One may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness center and spend much just to slim down to obtain that longed for sexy body. There are many books available in the bookstore which offer weight loss programs which are convenient and for free, of course the books are not though. These weight loss programs, or diet plans are gaining immense popularity with so much publicity, testimonials and reviews that one may be confused which exactly to follow. So before choosing which weight loss plan to follow, try reading these summaries about the most popular diet programs out today.

Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins. This weight loss program encourages high protein diet and a trim down on the carbs. One can feast on vegetables and meat but should fast on bread and pasta. One is also not restricted against fat intake so it is okay to pour in the salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, after the diet, one may find himself lacking on fiber and calcium yet high in fat. Intake of grains and fruits are also limited.

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet plan advocates low carbohydrate eating. Approves on eating meats, vegetables and fruits, dairy and grain products. however, warns against taking in too much carb. "Reward" meal can be too high on fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose by Dr. Goor. Restrains fat intake. One is given a "fat" budget and he is given the liberty on how to spend it. It does not pressure the individual to watch his carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafoods is okay. A go signal is also given on eating vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is fairly healthy, good amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as saturated fats. Watch triglyceride levels though; if high, trim down the carbohydrates and tuck in more of the unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet. Advocates moderate amounts of fat and protein intake and high on carbs. Primarily designed to lower blood pressure, the diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages high intake of whole wheat grains as well as fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it advocates too much eating to procure significant weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Ornish. Primarily vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Gives the go signal on the "glow" foods but warns to watch it on non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet is poor in calcium and restricts consumption of healthy foods like seafoods and lean poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type. Interesting because it is based on the person's blood type. recommends plenty of meat for people with the blood type O. Diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and too low in calories. And for the record, there is even no proof that blood type affects dietary needs.

The Pritkin Principle. Focused on trimming the calorie density in eating by suggesting watery foods that make one feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is okay. Although limits protein sources to lean meat, seafood and poultry. Although it is healthy by providing low amounts of saturated fats and rich amounts of vegetables and fruits, it is also low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.

Volumetrics. For low-density calorie eating. Recommends the same foodstuff as Pritikin but restricts fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This plan is reasonably healthy given the high amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as being low in calorie density and saturated fats.

The Zone. Moderately low on the carbs yet moderately high on the proteins. Encourages low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken plus veggies, fruits and grains. It is also healthy but lacking in grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers. High carbohydrates, moderate on fats and proteins. A very healthy diet plan and very flexible too. it allows the dieter to plan his own meal rather than give him a set to follow.

Dieting and Fitness

When it comes to living a long and healthy life, there are two necessary ingredients: diet and fitness. While some believe that they are one thing all together, nothing could be further from the truth. It is quite possible to have a perfectly healthy diet with deplorable fitness habits. It is equally possible to be very physically fit with less than savory eating habits.

There's a clever little line in the Jimmy Buffet song "Fruitcakes" when his 'lady' is lamenting:
"I treat my body like a temple
You treat yours like a tent"

I can't help but think of this line whenever I think about all the people around the world who are going on these garbage in, garbage out diet plans hoping to achieve the weight loss success of those who are endorsing these products.

To be completely honest, it is possible to shed pounds through diet alone. It is difficult but possible. It is also possible to be physically fit and have a few extra pounds hanging around. To a large degree we are what we eat. If we consume a high fat low substance diet our bodies are going to lack the fuel required to burn the fat. At the same time if we aren't providing our bodies with the tools it needs to build muscle it doesn't matter how many weights we lift.

When it comes to diet and fitness, the best results are achieved when they work together rather than separately. Use your fitness routine to burn excess calories and use your diet in order to properly provide your body the nutrients and fuel it needs to build muscle. I've heard many times in my life that a pound of muscle weighs less than a pound of fat. While this is not true at all, a pound is a pound regardless; a pound of muscle occupies less space on the body than a pound of fat. Pound for pound, I would much rather mine be composed of muscle than fat. Dieting alone does not build muscle and that is something you will do well to remember in your efforts.

You should also realize that as you are building muscle you may be shedding inches while not showing a great deal of progress on the scale. It is very important that you keep this in mind throughout the weight loss process. Do not measure your progress by the scales alone or you will achieve misleading results. The problem is that far too many people do just this and get frustrated and give up when they are actually making progress. Do not allow yourself to be a victim of the scales. Look in the mirror, try on your tight pants, and measure your waistline. Measure your success by how you feel after climbing a flight of stairs not by how many pounds fell of the scale this week.

By incorporating fitness into your diet routine you are also enabling your body to burn off any extra calories you may have consumed during the day. This means that if you want to have a small 'cheat' during your day, you can make up for it by burning a few more calories than normal in the evening. This isn't something that should happen often but an occasional occurrence isn't going to make or break your diet.

You should also look at dieting and fitness as a ball and glove type of relationship. While you can play ball without the glove, it seems to work so much better if you have both. Diet and fitness when combined can create fantastic weight loss results for those who take them both seriously. The thing to remember is that neither works as well alone and neither will work unless you are willing to do the work. You must make this a priority in your life in order to achieve the best possible results.