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Michael Mooney's Story (Updated March, 2008)
Because his early childhood was plagued with numerous personal health problems Michael Mooney began looking into natural health care and "health foods" at the age of 14.
His health improved rapidly and Michael's growing passion for nutrition attracted the attention of his biochemist father. Under his father's mentorship Michael began to investigate progressive nutrition and nutritional therapies, and in 1977 they co-founded an organization to research nutrition and dietary supplements, lifestyle, and exercise as tools to improve health, intelligence and extend human lifespan.
Because of his upbringing in a family of activists, although he is HIV-negative, Michael responded to the AIDS crisis when it first appeared in the early 1980's by helping HIV-positive friends research information about alternative medicine and nutrition for long-term survival. Michael lost his best friend to AIDS-related wasting disease early in the AIDS crisis (he died in a hospital at 80 pounds), and this has been a prime motivation for Michael's HIV/AIDS work.
In the 1980's Michael also provided nutritional consultation, lectured and worked in the field helping natural and "synthetic" bodybuilders improve their performance and stay healthy. During this time Michael wrote a column for Hardgainer, a consummate natural bodybuilding magazine. What he learned working in the fitness community set the stage for his research related to bodybuilding and anabolic hormones as wellness tools for HIV/AIDS therapy.
Activism
In 1993, in an effort to help the HIV public gain more understanding of alternative AIDS therapies, Michael attempted to produce a free public forum at the West Hollywood, California Community Auditorium. When the forum drew an audience of over 200 people and resulted in a two-page story in Los Angeles' New Times newspaper, Michael realized his calling as an AIDS treatment advocate.
After being asked about anabolic steroid use for HIV therapy by HIV-positive friends, Michael began investigating potential medical applications for anabolic steroids in 1994. In 1995, Michael met Nelson Vergel by introduction from internationally recognized hormone therapy expert Mauro DiPasquale, M.D.
Nelson, a resident of Houston, was HIV-positive himself and already using anabolic steroids and progressive nutrition as parts of his personal wellness program. Nelson was practicing what Michael had been studying far away in Los Angeles. Their commonality as treatment advocates yielded Michael a role donating time as voluntary Director of Research for Nelson's new non-profit organization, Program For Wellness Restoration (PoWeR). PoWeR is a non-profit research and educational organization that focuses on a comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS wasting and body composition problems utilizing nutrition, exercise, and hormonal intervention.
Journalism
During the time that Michael and Nelson became friends and co-workers Michael began writing regularly for Muscle Media magazine. Michael's two years of exposure to Muscle Media's 300,000 readers helped PoWeR spread the word around the United States and the world that anabolic steroids could help improve HIV health and longevity.
Consulting And Lecturing
Because of Michael's love for science and the medical literature he has become a consultant to medical doctors, dietitians and the HIV public regarding hormonal and nutritional therapies and exercise for HIV/AIDS. Michael has given over 150 lectures to the general public and the HIV community and their doctors, dietitians and caseworkers since 1992. Topics have included progressive nutritional topics, The PoWeR Guidelines for HIV, anabolic hormone therapy, exercise, and politics related to natural health care.
Publications
Michael's publications and presentations include PoWeR's nutritional, hormonal and exercise research data, which he co-authored, at the XI International AIDS Conference in Vancouver in July, 1996 (Mooney et al. Abstract We.B.3271); a co-authored paper on the combined therapeutic application of nutrition, anabolic steroids and exercise for HIV that was presented at the XII International AIDS Conference in Geneva (Vergel et al), two co-authored papers on anabolic steroid therapy for HIV (Pharo, et al, Second International Conference on Nutrition and HIV Infection, Cannes, France - 1997, and Salvato, et al, Second International Conference on Nutrition and HIV Infection, Cannes, France, 1997). He is the Editor and Publisher of Medibolics, the PoWeR newsletter as a web site and in its former printed form, and has had over 60 articles published in magazines, and newsletters, including Muscle Media, POZ, Positively Aware, European AIDS Treatment News, Ironman, and Current Medical News.
Michael was a consultant to National Institutes of Health researcher Fred Sattler, M.D. of USC-LA, for Dr. Sattler's study, Effects of Pharmacological Doses of Nandrolone Decanoate and Progressive Resistance Training in Immunodeficient Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabololsim, 84(4):1268-1276, 1999. (See study acknowledgements.)
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