Toilet humor over diarrhea-induced weight loss shows fat phobia is alive and well
Health experts are warning against the dangerous trend of social media users joking about or desiring weight loss through parasitic infections like cyclosporiasis. The trend is being criticized for normalizing eating disorders and minimizing the severity of infectious diseases.
Why it matters
This reflects the intersection of toxic diet culture and social media influence, posing real risks to public health.
Celebrating losing a few pounds because you got sick? As cyclospora cases spread throughout the United States, more people are making jokes about the “benefits” of the intestinal parasite. The toilet humor took a disturbing turn when some people on social media suggested they wanted to contract this infection for its potential weight-loss effects. Cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes nausea, fatigue, cramping and explosive diarrhea, can linger for weeks. The illness lands nearly 10% of patients in the hospital. I spotted online creators jokingly featuring themselves headed to the store for raw produce or eating berries in the hopes of getting sick and losing weight — despite the risk of experiencing discomfort and dehydration.
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