UPDATE: This episode will air again on Monday, 5/23/11.
Swallowing tapeworms to lose weight may seem too out there to believe that anyone actually does it. Two women who are willing to try it will be guests on the Tyra Show tomorrow. They and Tyra will be shown the ropes of the tapeworm diet by a specialist who sells the intestinal parasites over the internet. You’ll see how big tapeworms can really get inside your body, plus learn about the potentially fatal risks.
The only real pro of the tapeworm diet is that weight loss is more or less guaranteed. However, obtaining the tapeworm to ingest is difficult. Medical intervention in required to get rid of it, such as a strong course of antibiotics, but the procedure can be more severe. It’s worth noting that the diet has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration. Once you get rid of the critter you’ll probably gain the weight back unless you make changes to your eating. And that’s if you survive, as it can be fatal.