THE WASTING SYNDROME: Prevention Better Than Treatment

THE WASTING SYNDROME: Prevention Better Than Treatment

Being Alive Newsletter; Being Alive/Los Angeles - September 93
Jennifer Jensen, RD

People often ask me how to gain weight. The HIV community is getting pretty savvy about "wasting." In fact, the wasting syndrome, as it has come to be known, is not only visible to anyone looking, but is classified as an AIDS-defining condition. (Since 1987 the CDC has classified wasting as such.)

The best remedy for wasting, of course, is to prevent it altogether; flat-out not let it happen. For this, we need to build adequate calorie stores, like money in a savings bank. This amounts to about 20 pounds over normal for the average man or woman with HIV/AIDS.

If you're concerned about your weight, or even if not, this information is important for everyone affected by HIV/AIDS. It's about prevention of the biggest opportunist of all malnutrition.

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