Tapeworm Diet: How Far Would You Go To Lose Weight?

Yesterday, on her talk show, Tyra Banks introduced to her viewers a new method of dieting: the Tapeworm Diet.

A tapeworm isn’t something you eat, but instead it is ingested. It attaches to your intestines, will grow inside the digestive tract, and feeds on a great amount of the same calories you consume.

According to Diet Review, “[The Tapeworm] 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.”

Once the target weight loss is reached, an antibiotic is given and the tapeworm is killed and expelled.

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.

Granted, this is a virtual dieter’s dream: eat whatever you want and lose weight, but is it worth it?