Dr. Bob,

I am sick of not looking fabulous. Prior to this thing, I could have any man i wanted. Now, i eat so much eat day- it hurts me- i feel so sick and fat and bloated each day. I heard that you need to feel stuffed to make ur body strong to battle the virus. Can i stop eating like king hippo so i dont turn into king hippo.

Thank you. King Hippo

Hello King Hippo,

Put down the Big Mac and step away from the Krispy Kremes! Whoever told you that "you need to feel stuffed to make your body strong to battle the virus" was probably a chubby chaser who wanted to turn you into a mega bear (or King Hippo). As for battling HIV or any chronic illness, what you need is lean body mass (muscle), not fat. My advice is that you talk to your HIV specialist and get a referral to an HIV-knowledgeable nutritionist who can help you optimize your diet, improve your lean body mass and get you out of your stretched-out stretch pants. You'll also need to start hitting the gym to get rid of the blubber and pack on some solid muscle. Remember, it was Tarzan who was king of the jungle, not the hippy hippo.

Dr. Bob