Could a tapeworm help people lose weight?

Question

I'd rather be plump than infested, but this might be an alternative to 'tummy tucks' or other unhealthy diet fads.

Answer 1

Read up on proper nutrition and avoid the parasite.

Answer 2

I can't see how. The worm lives in you, so the combined weight of the worm you, and the food, will be the same no matter whether the food is in your gut or it's! You would all be on the scales at the same time wouldn't you?

(Joking aside- yes, it can cause you to lose weight, but can also cause other serious health consequences, and can make you feel quite ill. I wouldn't recommend worms to anyone- I lived in West Africa as a child, and not only had worms, but saw various consequences in those around me. We were lucky as expats that we would see a doctor quickly, take a big fat tablet at least as big as an old 50p piece, and that would kill the worms, which would then come out in the usual way!)

I think you/ anyone should maintain a healthy diet, take excercise, and lose weight gradually and slowly. The power of suggestion is also a useful tool- you could look into NLP as a way of reprogramming your mind to lose weight.

You might also want to consider that fat is purely the body's way of storing resources for times when food is less scarce, and that some fat is healthy, as long as you eat healthily and excercise. It is only the "propaganda" of magazines etc, that causes people to believe that stick-thin is desirable. Many people find curvy women/ cuddly men more attractive than a rake. You are right to stay plump rather than infest yourself!

Good luck, but please forget the worms, though I assume it was a joke question anyway- I can't imagine anyone going out to acquire a tapeworm, then sitting at home to swallow it.

On a related but hideous note, the way to get rid of worms in the gut in medieval times was to swallow a piece of rotten meat on a string, wait a little while for the worm to start to bite/eat it, and then haul your "catch" back up again. Nice hey?

Take care...

Answer 3

It use to be fashionable to take a tape worm pill, so yes it was an unhealthy diet fad once upon time.  I hope the time isn't coming back.

Answer 4

Defiantly not recommended.

Answer 5

i know its hard to loose weight however detox diets and huge amounts of walking only drinking water will make yoy loose lots of weight

Answer 6

I am afraid this dreadful practice was used a bit by the Victorians. If you don't want to get involved in faddy unhealthy diets, pretty clearly you don't want to get involved in this either. The people that have been infected by this tapeworm have described the following symptoms: abdominal discomfort and pain, cramp, colic, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, restlessness, vertigo, headache, tiredness, malabsorption, anorexia, muscular pain, vitamin deficiency, megaloblastic anemia, weight loss (or gain), intestinal blockage, jejunal perforation, appendicitis, pancreatitis, pseudo-incontinence, pruritis ani, rectal-flutters, spontaneous voiding of segments from the a**s.

Answer 7

Yes, but that would be even more unhealthy than any fad diet. Tapeworms eat the food u are meant to digest

A lot ofvitamins and minerals are lost to the worms and u suffer from malnutrition.

Rather eat properly, get exercise and improve ur mental state. It is safer