Doctor advises against ingesting live tapeworms as means of weight loss

From the "Duh!" Department

The medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health has sent a warning against ingesting live tapeworms in her weekly email to public health workers. In the email, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk recounted a recent incident.
A physician sought the department’s help for a patient who said she’d swallowed a tapeworm she’d bought over the internet. The woman was hoping the parasite would help her lose weight.

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

Tapeworms are parasites that can live in the intestines of animals and humans. They can be accidentally ingested in undercooked meat. Dr. Quinlisk said that a century ago, hucksters often sold tapeworm eggs in pill form as a weight-loss aid.