THE WASTING SYNDROME: All You Have to Do is Drink

THE WASTING SYNDROME: All You Have to Do is Drink

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

People living with HIV/AIDS don't have enough of an appetite to eat the necessary amount for gaining weight. There also could be problems with diarrhea, nausea and other types of non-food problems which have been addressed in other issues of this newsletter. Appetite, also, seems to be a very brief event; if you wait to act on an appetite signal, the urge may be gone completely after 15 minutes (sound familiar?).

A veteran of many such occasions in my own health history, I've found that even when we can't eat, we can (almost) always drink. The liquid meals suggested earlier can be used to provide all the calories, and many nutrients needed.

It's a pleasure when a client says they hate even the thought of eating and then I tell them that they don't have to! It may take 8-10 liquid meals each day, but it is totally do-able. It would amount to about one can every two hours. With the flavoring strategies listed earlier it can even taste good enough to look forward to.
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This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
©1993. AEGIS.