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The Tapeworm Diet
The Arizona Republic has raised an interesting question. Is it possible to use tapeworms as a diet aid? Won't the tape worm just sit in your stomach and consume all the extra food you eat, and after a while you can pull out the thing? The basic answer is no. This would not be a good idea. They go into some more details:

While a tapeworm might take in some of the food you do, it would at the same time be taking in a lot of vitamins and other nutrients you need to stay healthy. Do you know what ascites are? A big pool of fluid in your tummy caused by an immune response to something in your guts. Something like a tapeworm. It gives you a big potbelly, which runs kind of counter to the look you might be wishing for. And a tapeworm might not necessarily just set up camp in your innards. It can also cause cysts in your muscles, liver and eyes. Your eyes! So don't you think it might be easier instead to just eat a bit less and exercise a bit more?
Categories: Body Manipulation, Food
Posted by Alex on Fri Apr 22, 2005
Comments (229)
More from the Hoax Museum Archives:
I am watching a thousand ways to die on tv. One woman used a tape worm to diet. She got down to the dress size that she was trying for. She got to wear it at her funeral. Tape worms can get into your lungs, liver brain and other places that can cause major damage. There isn't any future in trying them to diet with.
Posted by ycav4424  on  Wed Dec 30, 2009  at  04:54 PM
ycav4424,

Please google "beef tapeworm" before posting such comment.

There are 3 stages of life cycle of tapeworm,
eggs->cysts ->adult, then back to eggs again. eggs->cysts is deadly dangerous, the cysts can grow everywhere, into lungs, brain, etc. But cysts->adult is harmless in the intestine.

Human can only be the definitive host for Beef tapeworm which means only adult beef tapeworm will survive inside of your intestine. And that's it. So if human swallow beef tapeworm cysts, it will become adult worm inside of you.

You can eat spoons of Beef tapeworm eggs and it won't survive in human, because cattle is the ONLY intermediate host. Only cattle is capable of growing cysts in its muscles if beef tapeworms eggs are present in the feed.

However, pork tapeworm is a different story. Human can be both intermediate and definitive host. Which means, it can complete the egg-cyst-adult cycle within human. So yes, if by accident you swallow some pork tapeworm eggs, it will grow cysts everywhere in your body. This is not the case with the beef tapeworm!!!

Please stop being ignorant. Hookworms and whipworms are used to combat certain diseases as a natural therapy. So why not beef tapeworm? As long as you are certain of what you swallow are beef tapeworm cysts, you are going to be safe.
Posted by Nicola  on  Wed Dec 30, 2009  at  05:56 PM
I support those who want to do the tapeworm diet. I believe it will diminish the mentally impaired part of humanity that is holding us back from moving forward in this world. I also recommend trying anorexia, bulimia, cocaine also works. Boo hoo everyone has a story to tell on how they can not possibly lose weight. Here is a thought. Maybe you were meant to look the way you are. If you can change it and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING has worked then it should be quite apparent you are meant to be that way.
Posted by mary lou  on  Sun Jan 03, 2010  at  03:22 PM
According to wormdiet.com, this method has been used for decades and achieves amazing results! I've been on it for 3 weeks and have lost almost 30 pounds!
Posted by Adrien jones  on  Sun Jan 03, 2010  at  06:35 PM
First of all I am amazed by the level of pig headed stupidity repeated over and over again. Please look up the life cycle of the BEEF tapeworm, before repeating the ignorance yet again. If you eat the fresh cysts in meat they do not migrate into other tissues and are pretty safe. It is really important not to take the (dried) eggs (offered online) as they are not evolved to live in a human host and the parasites will migrate around the body causing a host of bad symptoms and damage... also no weight loss !

The other thing is how rude and unpleasant a lot of comments are, don't you have any empathy for others ? There are a lot of people who are desperate to lose weight and fit into a society that highly values superficial appearance. Some people carry 'fat' genes that mean that their normal body weight is huge, their body will try to maintain that huge size. They have evolved because food was scarce and it was good for survival to carry the extra fat to get through tough times. In our world food is everywhere so the gene is now detremental... There has been some research on this, it seems that genetically the body is programmed to be a certain size and going against the weight the body means fighting it all the way. It's easy to mock fat people when your body is programmed to be thin and you can just call others lazy and glutenous.

I was very fit and thin until, I had to take steroids for my immune condition and I put on 4st. I have seen how people react differently to me and it's not pleasant to listen to arrogant, rude and stupid people simply telling me to diet.

I will be taking a tape worm to control my immune system, we have evolved to live with parasites and when living in a super clean place the body ramps up the sensitivity of the immune system looking for them, causing bad allergies. It's not a great solution but it wll be better than living off steroids - which do have dreadful side effects.

Let's not debate the morality of being over weight in a world where some people are starving, that's due to a political situation in society. Let's think of the individual.. some fat people are so desparate to lose weight they are undertaking stomache bypasses, now personally a tape worm seems the lesser or two evils.
Posted by Dren  on  Sun Jan 03, 2010  at  08:54 PM
Three fourths of the Chinese people drink their own urine too. They think it is healthy for them. That doesn't mean I am going to do it, or anything else that common sence tells me not to try.
Posted by ycav4424  on  Sun Jan 03, 2010  at  11:46 PM
OMG! This is awesome! My whole family is going on this diet! 'Whats for dinner hunny?' 'My own creation: special fortified chili, babe!'
Posted by rob  on  Thu Jan 07, 2010  at  03:35 PM
To Melissa who posted on Sun Nov 13, 2005.
Dear: Melissa
Yes, im infected with my very own pariste pal! What you need Melissa, is me! We could diet together! We could do everything together. You too can be infected with a pariste pal, a tapeworm, and me! And you will never be alone again! I promise. You will share everything with a parisite pal! Life can be rainbows, cottoncandy and me! PLUS, A new thiner yummyer looking Melissa! Will post my email if your interested?
Gregy
Posted by Gregy  on  Tue Feb 09, 2010  at  11:21 AM
See the Chinese people drink their own urine. Isn't that just disgusting! I would rather have a parisite pal, a tape worm any day. Wouldn't you? You can't really trust relationships these days. Today you may be in a marriage, tomorrow it's all over. They will break your heart. Then steal your money in the court system. It's just so sad. But, with a parisite pal you will always have a friend, dependant on each other. It's kind of touching to me. Don't you think. I say GET INFECTED, carry a worm, and be happy.
Posted by Gregy  on  Thu Feb 11, 2010  at  10:24 AM
I find it so funny people fear a tapeworm. DID YOU KNOW,-- well it's kind of a goverment secret. That over 60 million men, women and children in the U.S. now carry a parasite in their brain? It's called TOXOPLASMA GONDII. IT'S NOW SPREADING ACROSS THE U.S.! This parasitic creature has the ability to cause human behavior modification. This change has been documented in humans in the United States. Way over half the worlds population is now infested. The U.S. Military has concluded that within the next 20 years America will have a ZOMIBE APOCALYPSE! Oooh,---- so you thought all those Zombie movies where silly? Ha, ha, ha, ha, let me tell you the time is coming very soon that you will fear your neighbor! The end of the the world is closer than any of you have ever thought! The Goverment dose not like me telling. Most of you reading this now are infected. Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between two different species. These parasites will cause human behavior modifacation. I'm SORRY, but it's all true! Your not the person you used to be. Ha, ha, ha. All is not lost though. I have come up with some wonderful anti-Zombie weapons you may be interested in.
Posted by Gregy  on  Fri Feb 12, 2010  at  07:36 AM
AMERICA is infected with TOXOPLASMA GONDII! It's true, this is no hoax! This parasitic creature has the ability to change human behavior! It has the ability to drive a person bat crap crazy! IT'S SPREADING NOW! OVER 60 MILLION IN THE U.S. OVER HALF OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION. You are prolly infected now! YOU ARE A PARASITIC CARRIER AND DIDN'T KNOW! I'M NOT SUPPOSE TO TELL!
Posted by [email protected]  on  Fri Feb 12, 2010  at  08:22 AM
A zombie Apocalypse is coming to America. TOXOPLASMA GONDII, you are infected! There is a very good chance your infected.
Posted by [email protected]  on  Fri Feb 12, 2010  at  08:29 AM
What has http://www.hauntedhull.com have to do with parasites??? Ghost and witchs? Ray your a moron! God how Stupid! This guy Ray proves to me people in America are infect with Toxoplasma Gondii!
Posted by john  on  Fri Feb 12, 2010  at  11:44 AM
RAY
YOUR THE MORON, DUMASS!!!
Posted by Ray  on  Fri Feb 12, 2010  at  02:24 PM
have you tryed slimming world it is really good i lost 2 stone in 11 weeks and i have eaten more now than i ever have its really good and healthy
Posted by sam  on  Mon Feb 22, 2010  at  05:49 PM
I heard about this years ago but thinking back on it wouldn
Posted by Infrared Sauna  on  Thu Mar 04, 2010  at  06:39 AM
PLEASE DONT DO THIS DIET- one time a girl died from it i swear she did the worm grew in her body- it does make you skinny but it also causes death please please dont do this please im begging you please people care about you please
Posted by Julie  on  Sun Mar 07, 2010  at  11:09 AM
Wait. Did someone say America goes to Church too much and doesnt get enought schooling? They say THATS whats wrong with America?! Well... um... i think our world is too secular if everyone did go to Church they would know the right things to do but seeing all the things people in America do, well we need to go to Church MORE!
Posted by Taylor  on  Tue Mar 09, 2010  at  08:34 AM
Guys- Don't be idiots! Tapeworms don't only eat your food, but they also eat your nutrients that your body needs to survive! And there never were pills containing tapeworm eggs, that's just a myth. Give yourself a few extra years of your life, and don't get a tapeworm!
Posted by Samantha  on  Tue Apr 20, 2010  at  02:29 PM
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