Woman buys, swallows tapeworm in bid to lose weight
In a desperate attempt to lose weight, an American woman has told her doctor she purchased a tapeworm over the internet and ingested it.
According to reports the woman's doctor was so shocked by the unusual admission he called the state health department for advice on how to treat her.
The agency advised the doctor to rid the woman's system of the parasite using specialist worming medication, then issued a public health warning.
"Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths,” said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director at the Iowa Department of Public Health.
“Those desiring to lose weight are advised to stick with proven weight loss methods; consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity.”
The beef tapeworm, or Taenia saginata, is reportedly the most common tape worm used in weight-loss schemes.
“Tapeworms will cause you to lose weight because you have this huge worm in your intestines eating your food,” Quinlisk said.
