John Olawepo and Babayemi Olakunde (both 2020 UNLV School Public Health PhD graduates) along with Jennifer Pharr and Chad Cross (both Environmental and Occupational Health) and their Nigerian colleagues recently published the article "Changes in Body Mass Index Among Antiretroviral Therapy Naïve People Living with HIV in Southeastern Nigeria." This research examined changes in Body Mass Index among people living with HIV who were new to antiretroviral therapy. The results of the study showed that antiretroviral therapy not only reduced the historic issue of HIV wasting, but also resulted in excess weight gain in many individuals. Hence, healthcare providers should be mindful of the likelihood of excess weight gain among people living with HIV and be proactive in addressing it to reduce the likelihood of other public health concerns resulting from overweight and obesity in this population.
