Posted: May 15th, 2023

What are three diet therapy considerations that must be made for people living with HIV/AIDS? Healthy and balanced eating is crucial for people with HIV/AIDS. In fact, for people with HIV/AIDS, maintaining body weight and strength, replenishing lost vitamins and minerals, and enhancing immune system function are three food therapy considerations. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations describes the immune system and the body’s capacity to resist infection (FAO, 2002).
Why is it important for them to adhere to these dietary requirements? The people living with HIV/AIDS must follow these dietary guidelines because eating a healthy, balanced diet promotes a stronger immune system and resistance to infection, which can help to terminate the progression of the HIV/AIDS disease in order to boost their immune system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses that when the immune system is attacked by the virus, it makes it more difficult for the body to fight against illnesses and infections (CDC, 2022). The immune system can be strengthened by eating a balanced diet that contains a range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Additionally, dietary guidelines must be followed to control drug side effects. Numerous antiretroviral medications used to treat HIV/AIDS can result in digestive problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These symptoms can be lessened by eating digestible, small meals often.
What may happen if they don’t?
For HIV/AIDS patients, not following dietary restrictions might have terrible repercussions. Patients with HIV/AIDS have compromised immune systems, which increases their risk of infections and other consequences. The immune system can become even more weakened by an inadequate diet, which will worsen the patient’s health. Weight loss and muscle wasting are two effects of not following dietary guidelines. These conditions can be brought on by HIV/AIDS and make the patient’s situation worse. A poor diet can aggravate muscle wasting and weight loss, further complicating the situation.
What two strategies can you use to facilitate adherence? To help HIV/AIDS patients comply with dietary restrictions, the two strategies used to facilitate adherence will be education and support programs for patients. Healthcare professionals may enhance their patients’ quality of life and health outcomes by providing them with information and resources, as well as by offering them emotional and practical assistance.

References
FAO. (2002). Living well with HIV/AIDS. A manual on nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. https://www.fao.org/3/Y4168E/y4168e00.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022c, July 14). Treatment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/livingwithhiv/treatment.html

Diet Therapy Considerations for People Living with HIV/AIDS
The three primary dietary therapy needs for HIV/AIDS patients include nutritional density, calorie density, and food safety. Nutritional density is crucial for an individual living with HIV/AIDS because HIV often attacks the immune system making it weak (“The benefits of good nutrition for people and families living with HIV/AIDS”). Thus, adequate intake of nutrients will enable the body to develop new cells to fight against disease, repair worn-out tissues and build the body (Gilbert & Schlenker, 2018). Similarly, calorie density is critical because an HIV/AIDS patient needs enough energy to be alive, move, and Schenker work. Food safety is also an important aspect to consider because HIV attacks the immune system making people vulnerable to disease attacks if they do not observe food hygiene.

People with HIV/AIDS must adhere to these considerations to live longer. That is, it helps the body to build a more robust immune system that protects them from opportunistic diseases, and it enables them to recover quickly in case diseases attack them (Gilbert & Schlenker, 2018) (“The benefits of good nutrition for people and families living with HIV/AIDS”). However, if they fail to adhere to the nutritional considerations, it significantly reduces their life span because the body will be unable to 2018) (protect and recover quickly from diseases.

Nevertheless, the two vital strategies that could be applied to enhance adherence to these considerations are education and support. The patients must be educated on the importance of adhering to these regulations by highlighting the risks and benefits of these therapies.

Additionally, support is significant at this stage because this disease drain is an individual’s mental, social, economic, emotional, and physical capacity (Okonji et al., 2020). Notably, this disease often burdens the family, so they will need to cater for the healthcare expenses of the patient. Also, the patient might lose their income as they cannot operate normally (“The benefits of good nutrition for people and families living with HIV/AIDS”). Thus, education and support on good food will help extend the life of people infected with the disease.

References
Gilbert, J. A., & Schlenker, E. (2018). Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Okonji, E. F., Mukumbang, F. C., Orth, Z., Vickerman-Delport, S. A., & Van Wyk, B. (2020). Psychosocial support interventions for improved adherence and retention in art care for young people living with HIV (10–24 years): A scoping review. BMC Public Health, 20(1). Https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09717-y
The benefits of good nutrition for people and families living with HIV/AIDS. Living well with HIV/AIDS. Https://www.fao.org/3/y4168e/y4168e04.htm#P97_15009

Diet Therapy Considerations for People Living with HIV/AIDS

Discussion Topic
Activity Time:
3 hours

Directions:
For this discussion you will review “Living well with HIV/AIDS – A manual on nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS” http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4168e/y4168e00.HTM

Then respond to the following:
1. What are three diet therapy considerations that must be made for people living with HIV/AIDS?
2. Why is it important for them to adhere to these dietary requirements?
3. What may happen if they don’t?
4. What two strategies can you use to facilitate adherence?

Please make an initial post by midweek, and respond to at least two other student’s posts with substantial details that demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and critical thinking. Remember that your posts must exhibit appropriate writing mechanics including using proper language, cordiality, and proper grammar and punctuation. If you refer to any outside sources or reference materials, be sure to provide proper attribution and/or citation.
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Diet Therapy Considerations for People Living with HIV/AIDS

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are at an increased risk for malnutrition, which can lead to a number of health problems, including weight loss, muscle wasting, and opportunistic infections. A healthy diet can help to improve PLWHA’s overall health and well-being, and can help to prevent or manage some of the complications of HIV infection.

There are three main diet therapy considerations for PLWHA:

Nutritional density. A nutrient-dense diet is one that is high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and low in calories. This type of diet can help to improve PLWHA’s overall health and well-being, and can help to prevent or manage some of the complications of HIV infection.
Calorie density. PLWHA who are losing weight or who have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight may need to increase their calorie intake. This can be done by eating more frequent meals and snacks, and by choosing foods that are high in calories, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and whole grains.
Food safety. PLWHA are at an increased risk for foodborne illness. To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, it is important to practice safe food handling techniques, such as washing hands thoroughly before and after handling food, cooking food to the proper temperature, and avoiding raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and seafood.

Why is it important for PLWHA to adhere to these dietary requirements?

There are a number of reasons why it is important for PLWHA to adhere to these dietary requirements. A healthy diet can help to:

Improve overall health and well-being
Prevent or manage some of the complications of HIV infection
Increase energy levels
Improve mood
Boost the immune system
Promote weight gain or maintenance
Reduce the risk of foodborne illness

What may happen if they don’t?

If PLWHA do not adhere to these dietary requirements, they may experience a number of health problems, including:

Weight loss
Muscle wasting
Opportunistic infections
Fatigue
Depression
Reduced quality of life

What two strategies can you use to facilitate adherence?

There are a number of strategies that can be used to facilitate adherence to a healthy diet for PLWHA. These include:

Working with a registered dietitian or other healthcare professional to develop a personalized meal plan
Making gradual changes to your diet, rather than trying to make too many changes at once
Finding healthy recipes that you enjoy and that are easy to prepare
Cooking at home more often
Planning ahead and packing healthy snacks and meals for work or school
Eating with friends and family
Rewarding yourself for meeting your dietary goals

Conclusion

A healthy diet is an important part of overall health and well-being for PLWHA. By following the diet therapy considerations outlined above, PLWHA can improve their overall health and well-being, and can prevent or manage some of the complications of HIV infection.