Jenny Craig; Weight Watchers; Lemonade Diet; Cayenne Pepper diet; Raw diet; Atkins diet and even Gastric Bypass surgery. Throughout the years, men and women have used various methods to attain the “perfect” body image.  Thinner is always better.  What remains in the dark are the countless photoshopped or airbrushed images, along with the dangerous side effects of some of these “fad diets”.  The latest fad is the Tapeworm Diet, heralded as “all natural weight loss” program.  Did the name freak you out?  It should have,

But what is the Tapeworm Diet really? Women around the world are injecting themselves with Taenia Saginata Cysticercus, or the beef tapeworm, in hopes of shedding a few pounds. While the sale and transportation of the beef tapeworm is prohibited by U.S. Federal Law, women are traveling to clinics in Mexico to get their worms.  After the injection, the tapeworm grows over the course of about 3 months to about 3 feet in length.  While inside, the tapeworm ingests the majority of the food and calories that one consumes, and makes the intestine less efficient at digesting food, thus leading to potential weight loss once the worm is killed and removed from the body.  The procedure costs around $2,000 and takes about 3 months to see results (around 1 to 2 lbs a week), if any. It also has numerous side effects such as loss of appetite or feeling of fullness, increased appetite, abdominal pains, nausea, headaches, constipation, diarrhea and vomitting…all effects associated with what comes to mind when one picks up a tapeworm in a third world country–not a fun time.  Also, it is easy to gain the weight back once the worm is removed if you don’t practice healthy eating habits.  The Tapeworm Diet can even lead to death if the worm migrates outside of the digestive tract.

There are both, critics and supporters. Some agree that the diet is good because it’s natural and provides a welcomed relief from the manufactured, high-tech and potentially toxic therapies that are currently on the market. Others would argue that there is no perfect weight loss solution, just like there is no perfect body type. Remember that this diet does not guarantee weight loss and it has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration so proceed “at your own risk”.

Note: Please consult a physician before attempting any radical changes to your body which could positively or negatively affect your health.

-La-Vaughnda Taylor, Contributing Writer