Hard To Believe The Woman At The End Of This Video Is The Same Woman As At The Beginning

I'm grateful this brave woman allowed cameras in to record her when she started taking anti-retroviral drugs. What they caught on tape was truly remarkable. Every time I watch it I go right back to the beginning, because, wow.

Interesting Article:

Body Shape Changes with HIV: Entire Lession Body shape changes

People who are taking HIV medicines and living longer sometimes experience visible changes in body shape and appearance. This condition is called lipodystrophy (pronounced "li-po-dis-tro-fee"). "Lipo" means fat, "dystrophy" means abnormal growth or change. So, lipodystrophy means abnormal changes in fat. These changes can be caused by HIV itself or by HIV medications.

These changes were much more common with older HIV medications. Current HIV medicines are much less likely to cause body changes and many people experience no body changes at all.

Possible changes in body appearance: increased fat in the belly increased fat in neck, shoulders, breasts, or face fatty bumps on the body loss of fat in the face, legs, or arms Types of fat gain with HIV

Lipodystrophy involves two types of fat in the body. One type, called visceral fat, lines internal organs. Too much visceral fat can put a person at risk of a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes.

The other type, called subcutaneous fat, is right under the skin. This fat can be lost in HIV, leading to prominent veins in the arms and legs and changes in facial appearance. Loss of subcutaneous fat is not life threatening but can have serious effects on the way people see themselves. It can lead to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Fat gain in the belly

A person may gain a large amount of visceral fat around the organs in their belly. This causes the abdomen to look swollen and feel hard. (If the abdomen is soft or doughy, it probably has nothing to do with HIV or its treatment.) Gain in visceral fat can prevent organs from working properly. This can affect how sugar and fats are processed in the body. Some people also show an increased amount of fat (called lipids) in their blood, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides. Increased cholesterol can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Increased triglycerides can raise the risk of damage to the pancreas. Blood sugar levels may go up, and the body may become less sensitive to insulin. This can lead to diabetes. Possible changes in body fats and sugars: changes in cholesterol ("bad" LDL cholesterol goes up, "good" HDL cholesterol goes down) increase in triglyceride levels increase in blood sugar levels less sensitivity to insulin

Exercise may be able to lessen the fat deposits around the gut. Diet can help lower the blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) that increase the risk of heart disease. Fat around neck, shoulders, breasts, and face

Another change is fat buildup on the back of the shoulders and neck (sometimes called a "buffalo hump"). Fat on the back of the neck doesn't raise the risk of heart disease but can cause headaches and sometimes problems with breathing and sleeping. Fat gain can make breasts bigger, which can cause back pain. Women seem more likely than men to experience greater fat gain in the breasts and the abdomen. Fat accumulation also can make the face appear fuller.