Okay, so what are some of the reasons that HIV-positive people lose weight or experience wasting?
For starters, many people with HIV are simply not eating the right amounts or kinds of food, such as those high in protein and micronutrients (i.e., certain vitamins and minerals). There are a number of reasons why people might not be eating the right amounts or kinds of food, including:
- Not knowing which foods are best to eat
- Depression
- Economic hardship
- Impaired taste
- Nausea or vomiting (usually caused by drug side effects)
- Dietary restrictions (especially those surrounding multiple-daily doses of certain anti-HIV drugs)
It is essential that people with HIV consume enough of the right kinds of food. Some studies have shown that, because HIV is always active, the body requires greater amounts of energy to consistently fuel itself. Even if viral load is being kept undetectable using anti-HIV therapies, additional energy is still required by the immune system to help build new cells and repair damaged tissues. Certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, also require greater amounts of energy and certain micronutrients to efficiently process the relatively high levels of toxic therapies being consumed on a daily basis.
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