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Tapeworm Diet
This dangerous parasite is banned in the U.S.
BACKGROUND
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Eating cabbage soup for two weeks. Exercising three times day. Drinking water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper for 10 days. We can all admit to going to great lengths, even if just once, to lose those unwanted pounds. But the Tapeworm Diet has to get as extreme and desperate as the world of dieting tricks and methods come. The good news is that importing or selling tapeworms in the U.S. is illegal. Tapeworms though, do occur in undercooked beef or raw meat dishes which are prone to contamination.
So what does a tapeworm in your gut actually do? It secretes proteins in our intestinal tract that make our digestion of food much less efficient. A less efficient digestive systems means that you can consume more calories through your food since your "body guest" is also noshing on them for his own growth purposes. Some scientists estimate that those infected with a single tapeworm can lose up to one or two pounds each week. Certain tapeworms can be downright lethal like a pork tapeworm, but for beef tapeworms, you can clear up an infection by taking a dose of antibiotics.
Some diet gimmicks have created tapeworm pills but since then the FDA has intervened and banned these unsubstantiated and dangerous products.
PRO
- Weight loss is pretty much guaranteed
- A scientist in Japan believes that tapeworms can also help clear up allergies like hay fever
CON
- Can be deadly
- Banned by the FDA
- Medical intervention may be needed to get rid of the tapeworm
- There are side effects to having a tapeworm
- Can't purchase or import one
- Once you get rid of the tapeworm, you risk putting weight back if you continue eating like you have a tapeworm
DIET and NUTRITION
The Tapeworm Diet is anything but a diet. Since a sizable percentage of what you eat goes to the tapeworm, it's a virtual dieter's dream: eat whatever you want and lose weight. Taking extra vitamins during an infection might help to prevent the massive nutrient loss. Following an infection, all those lost pounds can be easily put back on if you don't follow a healthy eating plan for just you and not your parasite.
TREATMENT
Treatment for getting rid of a tapeworm varies from grotesque to the less grotesque. A strong course of antibiotics is prescribed to get rid of the tapeworm.
CONCLUSION
Let us truly be thankful for the great strides in the hygienic practices of our farms and slaughterhouses and in our water supply. Even though our bodies have evolutionarily become used to being hosts to a myriad of parasites, our modern day ways have no doubt helped us to stay healthier and live longer. Voluntarily ingesting a tapeworm to lose weight is legally a difficult thing to pull off, not to mention dangerous. Your safer and less uncomfortable way to shed some pounds is probably heeding the advice of science and research: Consume less calories and stay active. Needless to say, this is one approach to weight loss that is not smart nor safe and should not be persued by anyone.
Common Misspellings
tapworm, tapewrom, taipworm, tapewerm, tapeworm's diet, tape worm diet, tape worm
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(Page 1 of 7, 137 total comments)madeabadmistake
it is funny how people say that it is stupid to do this diet- WE KNOW! But we still do it because it is still an option. I was just tired of people calling me fat and it worked better than having bulimia (witch iv also had). I know i will regret it in the longrun... don't do it, its just not worth it...
posted Jan 7th, 2012 2:47 pmdamon
umm [deleted] exercise man? you people are extremely stupid for even thinking of doing this, its called eat less and get active, ring a bell? lay off the twinkies lol.
posted Nov 28th, 2011 3:05 pmDesperate
You can say rude things, and call people names, but I wonder if you can sympathize. Do you know what its like to eat till it hurts? Then to cry, admit your stupid fat and ugly, then to swear tomarrow you'll do better. Do you know what its like to think of nothing but food...how much you hate it, how much your tierd of hearing about it and how you destroy yourself with it ? Do you know what it feels like when your eating is killing you? If you knew, then maybe this diet wouldn' t seem so desperat
posted Nov 4th, 2011 4:12 ammulki
this is a stupied thing it can kill ya but most of yu guys are going there annyways
posted Oct 18th, 2011 1:23 pmAlex
You can dislike this comment all you want but the diet can kill you its not worth it it worksbut you may DIE
posted Sep 21st, 2011 12:07 pmSarah
Hate it all you want. I tried exercise, diet, cleanses, everything. Nothing work.
posted Sep 9th, 2011 1:44 pmHowever, this worked wonders. I finally lost weight with this "crazy" diet. All of you people hating it and saying "quit being lazy" obviously don't have a problem with weight.
tc
it killed me
posted Jun 30th, 2011 6:41 pmPRUDENCE
i saw the episode and i think people should start to be comfortable in their own skin,God did not create you by mistake!!!1
posted Jun 8th, 2011 9:46 amShaun
im 12 and im doing an essay on this crazy diet,try this german diet mum lost 4 kilos in a week
posted May 25th, 2011 1:37 amBruceNY
wormy, that's what i thought too...I have no fact but logic to back it up though: it would make sense that a creature that has a shorter lifespan and that reproduces much faster than ours adapts to us rather than the other way around. By the way, it's been a while since our bodies adapted to anything: we tend to conditionour environement rather than our bodies. Which leads me to my next point: if you are seriously considering the tapeworm diet you might have a bigger problem than losing a few pounds. Your problem might be that you don't want to work to get to where you want to be, and it might translate in your work or in the way you raise your kids (mom AND dad).
posted May 24th, 2011 6:43 pmYou cannot get everything and not lose something. I was there myself and I don't blame you, we live in a society where everything is convenient and requires minimum effort. The fact is that this procedure won't fix your problem: wou will lose weight but will still not care about your body and even less about what's in your food. Even worse, you might end up thinking that it's safe for your kids, or teach them that it doesn't matter wether or not they exercise because they have options to have it all...
Brenda
where do you buy the capsules if one were to try it?
Jody
Ok , # 1 this "diet" has been around since well before 1900, do your research, # 2 it's nasty but some people do it get over it, # 3 most things you read from people that post on the net is BS, and finally no one cares about any of your opinions every one has one, just like every one has a a** hole
posted May 8th, 2011 1:06 pmno one
i died on this diet
posted May 6th, 2011 9:24 amkayla
i lost lot of weight
posted May 4th, 2011 4:20 pmdiana
i tried it and lost weigth
posted Apr 5th, 2011 2:29 pmleahh
This diet is very very STUUUPID!
posted Mar 29th, 2011 3:55 pmVEGETARIAN DIETERS
Anyone who tried this diet are pathetic... look at me i lost 15 pound in a month just by being vegetarian...
posted Feb 27th, 2011 5:03 ampaul
Hey everyone this sounds like such an interesting fad I am a journalist writing an article on interesting diets. I am looking for any body who has tried this diet and is willing to share their experience with me. If so please email me at
posted Feb 22nd, 2011 8:23 pmbre
I enjoyed the information, the comments from the peanut gallery where also comical. What is everyone?? Thirteen? Lol
posted Feb 16th, 2011 8:13 pmNo way!
This "diet" is madness, and is way too dangerous!
posted Jan 28th, 2011 1:19 pmExtra weight can be lost in much safer ways.
Exercise, 30 minutes to 1 hour each day if possible.
Do not skip meals, and DO eat breakfast. Eating breakfast revvs up your metabolism, which means you'll burn up more calories during the day. Not eating breakfast puts you at risk to develop obesity.
Eat a lot of vegetables.
Cut down on fatty and sugary foods.
Drink water or tea instead of soft drinks.
You can drink soft drinks or eat candy, cakes etc., but shouldn't do so daily, and you should eat low quantities.
If you still cannot lose weight, you might suffer from metabolic syndrome, or insulin resistance.
You should see a doctor to eliminate this.
Certain medications like corticoids and antidepressants are also known to cause weight gain, that can be so dramatic that a normal weight person can become obese in a few months!