Sanitized tapeworm: Urban myth, or weight-loss wonder?

Posted on Oct 16th 2007 9:39AM by Martha Edwards

Here's an appalling example of how far people are willing to go for weight-loss: The sanitized tapeworm as a weight-loss tool. You know how you used to quip that your cousin must have a tapeworm because they ate so much and yet never gained an ounce? Well, someone decided to capitalize on that, and started offering a baby tapeworm to people to swallow -- then tapeworm then eats your food. This first became a fad in the 1800s and luckily hasn't come back with much attention (that I can see) but there are people out there willing to try it!

Here's the problem with the tapeworm diet -- a tapeworm is a harmful medical condition. Doing so would be like injecting yourself with a severe stomach virus in order to lose 10 pounds in a couple of days. Tapeworms don't just eat your food -- they eat your nutrients, making you malnourished ... and with a grotesque, fluid-filled belly!

I'm sorry to say but there's just no way to lose weight and maintain your weight loss without cutting out or really reducing your intake of junk food. So the sooner you accept that weight loss is hard work, the sooner you'll shed the pounds.

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Tags: gimmicks, nutrients, sanitized tapeworm, SanitizedTapeworm, sick, tapeworms, weight loss, WeightLoss

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Lisa 10-17-2007 @ 10:41AM

Uh, yea. Tapeworms don't isolate themselves to the intestinal tract - - the larve can travel to other organ systems, particularly the central nervous system and the skeletal muscle system, causing severe medical conditions including seizures, massive inflammation. People can develop a condition called Neurocysticercosis - which can cause irreversible brain damage, and even death.

Not something I'd want to toy around with just to lose a few pounds ...I'll keep my hips, thankyouverymuch!

Noël 10-21-2007 @ 6:18AM

My work with parasites for the past 8 years has made me wise to just about any parasite infestation; whether it be human or animal. The scolex of the taniea solium, the most common tapeworm for humans, can and usually does cause ulcerations to the site of attachment. As the worm feeds off of your NUTRIENTS, not your actual food; the result is a pale and sickly looking person with a distended belly. The body's inflamitory response reacts to the parasite which actually causes the belly to grow. As also priorly mentioned before, the tapeworm larve also do travel to the nervous system and may cause death in severe enough cases. There is more to the tapeworm than Scolex and Proglottid! Tapeworms are dangerous parasites, not quick fix diets!

Jody 10-21-2007 @ 7:54AM

I appreciate the plethora of knowledge and information given by the previous two people. I guess it is just sad that in this modern day there are actually morons who would remotely consider intentionally swallowing a tape worm. Furthermore, it is equally sad that someone needs the dangers explained. No wonder Maury Povich is doing so well.

MEILING ALSEN 10-21-2007 @ 9:09AM

whatever happened to exercise?

Roberta Paige 10-25-2007 @ 11:55AM

Educate yourselves about parasites in the human body and you'll not only be healthier, but lose weight and feel wonderful! Go to: www.drnatura.com for great info. from the College of Natural Medicine along with hundreds of testimonials. The pics can be disturbing, but all true.... trust me when I say I took my own pictures....yuk!!

cyndi 10-21-2007 @ 11:31AM

You have GOT to be kidding. I might as well go on the illegal drug diet while I'm trying to kill myself getting skinny. No thanks....lol.

Laura 10-21-2007 @ 11:38AM

OMG! I can't believe anyone would actually want to put a live tapeworm inside themselves. How SICK! I've morbidly obese (500+) but I'm not THAT desprate. Anyone heard of a good diet and excersize? Try Weight Watchers they have helped me loose over 250lb in the past 18months by just changing my lifestyle. I have a long way to go, but I'd rather do it slow and safe then fast and dangerous.

person 10-21-2007 @ 11:52AM

To bad the tapeworm is harmful, and eats ur nutrients and everything, cuz that wood be awsome if it didnt like hurt u and stuff.

kayla 10-21-2007 @ 12:37PM

omg, that's just as bad and using drugs to lose weight. instead of being addicted to heoin and losing weight you swallow a worm and hope for the best. Gross!

me 10-21-2007 @ 12:45PM

I'd do it......and I do exercise, an hour to an hour and a half 6 days a week and I eat 1,500 calories daily, I'm a 5'8" size 6.....but a tapeworm for a month so I could eat...Yep, sign me up

angied5460 10-21-2007 @ 12:54PM

Let's just call it thinning the herd.
If we still all lived in the jungles of Africa, these idiots would be the first to get eaten by lions and crocodiles.

Dan Koontz 10-21-2007 @ 1:02PM

Besides beef tapeworm, trichinella spiralis from pork is the most insideous of all parasites. In 1970, the U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare estimated 1 in 6 Americans were afflicted with trichinosis.
The biggest present parasite danger is raw fish. Most raw fish contain various forms of parasites which cause a variety of undiagnosed disorders. Solution? Walnut Hull is an over the counter botanical available on the Internet or Natural food stores. It is harmless and kills all parasites when taken in sufficient dosage. Happy to see interest in healthy weight loss and avoid dangers of parasites.

Nicole 10-21-2007 @ 1:21PM

I have a sky-high metabolism, so i dont have to worry about it, but wouldnt being obese cause at least as many health problems? Im not gunna lie, if i had a low metabolism Id do pretty much anything to get thin.

M.L> CAR 10-21-2007 @ 1:33PM

This is a totally CRAZY idea I know some people have never seen anyone that has TAPEWORMS >>>>>BUT I have and it is very sad They are litterly starving to death, and they are always hungry. The person whom I knew who had these awful critters (Parasites) , would also have very weird cravings for instances he would eat jars full of jelly & other sweets ,hands full of suger & salt and he ate like a pig all the time yet he was very small for his age & had a very large head compared to the rest of his body, & a very large stomach. I was very young when I saw all of this 4 or 5 years old ,how ever it left a long lasting impression as it is now 57 years later. This person later on in life had a very BAD learning disabilty & was actually kicked out of school (gentlely) at age 14 or 15 years old because they could not teach him anything, I think the parasites gave him brain damage. HE didnot have just one of these tapeworms but....Very many of them. This was later found out through his doctor. Back in the days i'm talking about these people had no money for doctors , and really did not belive in them very much either. This person had fites often (now they would call them sezisures, I think) Let me Skip back to weird things he would eat he also would eat hands full of dirt ,he craved it ,I guess the mother was always after him to not eat the weird things ,how ever he would sneak & do this anyways. Finally the day came when he had a very bad Spell or fite & his eyes were rolling back into his head, so lucky for him a DOCTOR was called he was very close to death ,But thank goodness the doctor saved him. I really don't know what all was done to save him but he lived until he was 63 years old, but still could not read. but he had work regulary & was a very hard worker, & was very dependable, over the years he learned many things on his on. How ever I can't help but wonder what kind of life he would have had & how much better off he would have been, If? he had never had those awful parasites.So I do know first hand about this , & I truely hope NO ONE WILL DO THIS TO THEMSLEVES ON PURPOSE>>>>>>>BECAUSE IT IS TO WEIRD TO AWFULTO UNHEALTHY & IT COULD KILL YOU.SO EVERY BODY or ANYBODY WHO IS even vagely thinking of doing this PLEASE DON't DO this to yourself or those you love.

Vivi 10-21-2007 @ 1:34PM

I like a good, well done loin of pork for a Sunday dinner, but to this day after hearing my mother condemn it when I was growing up, I cringe at the thought of being infected with trichinella spiralis, the worm that causes Trichinosis. My mother talked about that and what it did to a friend of hers.
It never left my mind and the thought of being infected with the worm, kept me from eating pork until the 1970's at which time I was finally able to put the thought behind me and enjoy a well-done pork roasted dinner.
But I could never eat any pork to this day if it showed a hint of 'pink'.

Estel 10-21-2007 @ 1:45PM

Please.
If people even want to lose weight that much then they are just pathetic.
I can understand if you are so obese that you are at risk for health problems, but that is your own fault, suck it up and stop stuffing your face, eat healthier.
But these people that just "want to lose 10 lbs" that is just sad.
Stop looking at those skeletal models and appreciate the fact you actually have something on your body other than skin and bone! And plastic, depending on the model. ;)

Dee 10-21-2007 @ 1:51PM

This is not an unusual practice as it has been practiced with intention. Maria Callas, the opera singer, gained more than a few pounds after Aristotle Onassis took his affection somewhere else (remember Jackie O?). She moved from Italy to France to eat nothing but steak tartar until miracously she started losing weight. However, after Aristotle dismissed her again, she had a very hard time getting rid of the tapeworm and spent many years ill after that. Eventually, she passed it with the help of a physician. So, this method of weight loss is not uncommon nor new. I assume, it is probably more acceptable in other countries, as are other means. This information was taken from a Maria Callas biography for those of you who are wondering. Of course, everything written is true! LOL! Take it for what its worth.

Jessica 10-21-2007 @ 3:01PM

Oh thank you for the information about tapeworms!!!

Now I can finally tell off my co-worker who *insists* that I have a tape worm because I'm a size 5 (which is not anorexic by any means, just normal)

and my belly is not distended and full of fluid :P