Dangerous diet fad hits Hong Kong
Dangerous diet fad hits Hong Kong If you've eaten your way to a big jelly belly, you can't worm your way out of it... but that's exactly what some Hong Kong diet weirdos are trying to do. They're ingesting live parasites in the belief that the critters will run around in the stomach and eat up all the fat. This screwy idea crops up from time to time -- but it's gotten so bad in Hong Kong that health authorities had to issue a warning over weight-loss products that contain awful stomach parasites such as the Ascaris roundworm. Click here to see what these awful things look like -- if you can stomach it. Any dieters who think this is a good idea shouldn't waste another minute worrying about their weight... because they clearly have a mental disorder far worse than obesity. I've worked in clinics in South America and Africa, and I've seen my fair share of parasite infections. Trust me, these awful things are a wriggling mass of bad news. They can grow to about 15 inches long... and lay up to 200,000 eggs per day in your intestines. Once they're running around in your gut, these disgusting creatures aren't obedient little pets. As they multiply inside you, they have free run all over your stomach and digestive tract. They can block your intestines and even worm their way into your other organs, like your lungs. They can also cause all the problems and side effects associated with the typical diet drug: diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting... and eventually, you may need to take drugs anyway or even undergo surgery to rid yourself of these nasties. And since they can even be fatal, you may not lose weight by eating these worms... but you could provide a meal for earthworms as you rot in your early grave. Not dying for this diet, William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.