Buy Walking VideosPostSecret: Tapeworm Diet
This postcard from PostSecret made me cringe with embarrassment.
It reads:
Tapeworms are what keep me thin.
There is a lot of questionable medicine floating around the world that recommends tapeworms for everything from stomach disorders to obesity. The concept of purposely infecting oneself with a parasite has been around for a LONG time. This advertisement doesn’t have a date printed up on it, but it’s obviously from the turn of the century.
This video talks a little about the negative effects of having a parasite within your body, but it doesn’t go into enough detail:
According to the Mayo Clinic, having a tape worm is a lot more painful than that “tapeworm expert” suggests:
Most likely, you won’t have any signs or symptoms with an intestinal infection. It’s possible you might notice segments of the adult tapeworm (proglottids) in your stool. Other possible signs and symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss and inadequate absorption of nutrients from food
Signs and symptoms of invasive infection: If tapeworm larvae have moved out of your intestines and formed cysts in other tissues, it can cause organ and tissue damage, resulting in:
- Fever
- Cystic masses or lumps
- Allergic reactions to the larvae
- Bacterial infections
- Neurological symptoms or seizures if the brain is involved
In one episode of House, a patient had a tapeworm in his brain causing trouble. That’s definitely NOT something I would want to risk just to lose weight. I’m perfectly willing to eat less and move more in order to avoid the complications of having a parasite within my body.
PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.
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May 11th, 2009 at 8:41 am
EWWWW. The ‘expert’ does not make is sound nice enough for me to want one. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I didn’t even need to see the video for this one. EWWWWW, why why why???
May 12th, 2009 at 10:16 am
When I saw that postcard this week I cringed too…who would do such a thing in this day in age? crazy!
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:17 pm
i heard this myth a few weeks ago and have been researching it ever since. if you are overweight, you know EXACTLY why this sounds appealing. it may be hard for THIN people to get it, but it’s a tragic struggle for millions of people, everyday.
April 13th, 2010 at 7:53 am
yall are nasty. if you want to lose weight,find a healthy,non-gross way!as for obese people,i can understand where your comin from,but you should also consider your safety
September 30th, 2010 at 7:32 am
This can only happen with the bad fish or pork worms NOT the beef worm so why does everybody post this as a warning? No one would possibly use them the beef are harmless if you take vitamins. Signs and symptoms of invasive infection: If tapeworm larvae have moved out of your intestines and formed cysts in other tissues, it can cause organ and tissue damage, resulting in:
February 3rd, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Remebre children: our body isn’t made of rubber. I’m not saying it’s made of glass either, but you shouldn’t do unappropriate things to it.
I know it may be though for some people (I’ve never been thin yself since I have the capacity to remember), but if you wanna lose weight it should be for yer health, and in dat case it would b just stupid to risk it.