Where can I buy a Crosswell Tapeworm?

[JonnyBoy12]

As you all know there are 1,001 ways to supposedly lose weight out there in the big wide world, but none as quite as extreme as the one mentioned in Brain Aldiss's short story "Supertoys last all summer long". Those who have read this book will have heard of the Crosswell Tapeworm, which is purposefully ingested by humans to aid weight loss by 50%, without any harm to the host.

I have looked online for this creature only to find it is purely fictional (accoring to Google). Can any of you ABers let me know where I can find a Crosswell Tapeworm, or any other kind, or are they all banned by international law?

Thanks in advance for any sensible replies.

[boxtops]

You said it yourself, it's fictional, science fiction - it's a story.

[Buenchico]

There's a website for everything!

Travel to Mexico.
Hand over US$2000.
Problem solved.

http://www.tapewormdiet.net/index.html

[AlBags]

What a disgusting thought .. knowingly acting as a host to one of those ruddy things.

[flicrat]

Went to a Science Assocition lecture 20 years ago, where the speaker pointed out what a marvellous pet worms made, as they ate when you ate, excercised when you did and shared all your activities. Think he was joking!!

[DTCwordfan]

Or China - an American I know was living as a student in a mainland Chinese village. I presume that he was a communist at the time. Anyway he had to exit when he started losing 3kg of weight a year and he was informed, "it's not the time for de-worming yet, that's November." It was still July.

He exited and the Matildha Hospital in Hong Kong discovered a 11ft tapeworm in his gut....... Enough for him to work in Hawaii for one of those agencies associated with the CIA.

[AlBags]

Yuk ... 11ft beggars belief.

[tiggerblue10]

When I first glanced at this I thought the title said "Cross & Blackwell Tapeworm"!!!

[Mosaic]

Jonny, use your grey cells. You want to ingest a human tapeworm...for that egg to have been laid, it has lived in someone else's gut for a time and been expelled with their faeces.
If you are that desperate to lose weight, stop eating.

[AlBags]

lol Perhaps they do them tinned!

[squarebear]

Where can I buy a Mogwai?

[Bbbananas]

Are you serious........................???

[McMouse]

This thread has reminded me of cat poo coffee.

[B00]

I'm with Tiggs, i thought it said that too.

I can't think of anything more revolting- knowing that something is living inside me would push me over the edge, that's just grotesque.

[redcrx]

"the larval stage causes a much more serious condition, known as cysticercosis, producing seizures and brain deterioration that is often misdiagnosed as epilepsy. Over time, the tapeworm can riddle the brain with its grape-sized bladders, causing progressive brain deterioration to the point of death"

sounds great. How does Weightwatchers do so well when this is an alternative?

http://www.innvista.c.../parasite/cestode.htm

[starone]

I read somewhere that Maria Callas the opera singer had a constant fight against weight gaining and used to do this on a regular basis - ingest a tape worm egg and then play host to the worm until she got thin again. Personally I can't think of anything more disgusting, but each to his, or her own.

[Bbbananas]

The fallacy about tapeworms not having any detrimental harm to its host is just that - fallacy. Worms, thread, tape or otherwise, can cause lots of problems, so to introduce one deliberately is foolhardy to say the least.

[McMouse]

Colonic irrigation with warm custard is much better for weight loss and is more fun.

[follyfancier]

apart from it being too disgusting to even think about, how can it make you weigh less if it is still inside your body ,that doesn,t seem to make much sense

[McMouse]

Oh dear!