Most people with tapeworm infections accidentally get them by consuming undercooked meat, however, some people are using the parasite purposely in a desperate and unwise attempt to lose weight.

Most people with tapeworm infections accidentally get them by consuming undercooked meat, however, some people are using the parasite purposely in a desperate and unwise attempt to lose weight.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Director Dr. Patty Quinlisk recently issued a health warning after one woman from the state admitted to her doctor that she bought a tapeworm on the Internet and ingested it.

The tapeworm can reproduce by itself, live for years in human and animal intestines, and get as long as 20 yards.

According to Dr. Quinlisk, “Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths. Those desiring to lose weight are advised to stick with proven weight loss methods; consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity.”

This isn’t a new scheme for the online websites marketing and illegally selling tapeworms as a tool to shed the extra pounds. Dr. Quinlisk says, “I’ve heard that say 150 years ago, the proverbial snake oil medicine people would go around and, indeed, sell tapeworms as a weight loss remedy back then.”

For those infected, anti-worm medication forces the detachment and elimination of the parasite through the digestive system.