The Ultimate Fad Diet: Deadly Parasitic Worms

Just eat healthy and exercise

In the U.S., there are literally hundreds of ephemeral fad diets that make up the $55 billion weight loss market. Apparently dieting is also big business in Hong Kong, where according the The Telegraph, obesity levels have soared because of sedentary lifestyles, fast food diets and long office hours.

Hong Kong clinics and websites offer a bizarre variety of questionable weight loss methods, The Telegraph says, including sweat-inducing body suits, fat-dissolving injections and even flammable paraffin wraps to literally burn off belly fat.

As faddish and transient as some of these diets may be, none even remotely compare to what Hong Kong health officials say web sites in Chinese are offering: a weight-loss formula that contains potentially fatal parasites known as Ascaris worms.

These weight-control aids or diet plans contain the eggs of the Ascaris worm –- giant, intestinal roundworms which live in the human body, lay eggs, and grow up to 15 inches long.

A spokesman for Hong Kong’s department of health said swallowing the parasites could cause abdominal pain and distension, vomiting, diarrhoea and malnutrition. “Parasite infestation may also be fatal if serious complications, such as intestinal, biliary tract or pancreatic duct obstruction, arise. The worms can also invade other organs, such as the lungs. The worms may require surgical removal if there are obstructions.”