(NewsNation) — An outbreak of the disease-causing parasite cyclospora has infected thousands of Americans from coast to coast and has given rise to a dangerous trend called “cyclospora skinny.“
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What began as a joke about the infection symptoms like weight loss and low appetite is now prompting warnings from health professionals.
Dr. Dhaval Desai, pediatric physician and internal medicine doctor, joined NewsNation to talk about the trend.
“This is a concerning trend. We’ve been talking about cyclospora for a few weeks. It is a problematic bug that can cause persistent diarrhea, abdominal cramping, feeling very uncomfortable,” he said. “It is not something that you would want.”
Desai said it appears that some social media influencers are talking about losing weight by getting cyclospora so they can drop pounds quicker. He said it isn’t a good way to burn weight and will make people feel worse.
“Getting ill from cyclospora is not burning fat. It is your body in a stressed state losing fluid, electrolytes, protein, all in a way that is gonna ultimately probably make you sicker,” Desai said.
Most of the weight loss with cyclospora comes from dehydration. Not only will people regain the weight when they recover, but Desai also noted that there can be dangerous consequences.
“The danger is really that you’re going to deplete yourself of the vital nutrients, the vital calories, the vital proteins that you need, which are our daily building blocks,” he said.
While being overweight is stigmatized, Desai stressed the need to lose weight in a healthy way.
"It’s about being healthy, not being skinny. So when we want to lose weight, we need to do it the appropriate way where we’re still maintaining the appropriate calories, the electrolytes, the nutrition,” he said.
The trend also comes amid increased use of GLP-1s and a focus on weight loss and being skinny. Desai says it’s important for people to be mindful of where they are getting health information online.
“We are in a society with social media, the trends, the influencers out there, which many people are listening more to influencers for their health advice rather than physicians and healthcare providers,” he said.
Sadly a lot of doctors and medical personnel are also responsible because so many kept ‘skinny’ as a standard for healthy, treating their fater patients as worse than the worst undesirable. When you tell a society that this thing is good then you can’t say ‘I meant it like this not like this’
I was gonna say, this doctor giving warnings like “yOu GoTtA lOsE wEiGhT tHe HeAlThY wAy!”
really feels like they’re missing the root of this issue.Kind of, in the sense that it’s just sidestepping the fact that probably a majority of the people he is talking about should not be losing weight, but I still think you’re unfairly decontextualizing the quote:
It’s about being healthy, not being skinny. So when we want to lose weight, we need to do it the appropriate way [by maintaining proper nutrition, etc.]
He emphasizes that being skinny for its own sake isn’t a good goal and when he mentions weight loss, it’s conditional: “when we want to lose weight,” which from a purely rhetorical standpoint isn’t great because again, the people involved mostly shouldn’t be losing weight (it’s just fucked up beauty standards, dysmorphia, etc.), and in fact a lot of them would probably be healthier gaining weight if they’re so deep into things that they are taking this idea seriously, but it’s still literally true that some people medically benefit from weight loss that is approached in a healthy way rather than by contracting diseases.
Credit where it’s due, he does make that distinction. I just hate doctors here for being fatphobic assholes, is all.
I keep thinking about how so many doctors joined the Nazi party early on.
Really, which is why I think medical reforms are so important and we shouldn’t blindly praise medicine.
Me too, they always treat even slightly overweight people like they gonna be crushed under their own weight and then talk about healthy weight loss like nah man you are the reason for so many eating disorders for people who don’t event follow fashion industry.
Back in my day, we did it the natural way. With tapeworm eggs.
Don’t give RFK Jr. any ideas, this will be sent out to doctors soon.
I’m offended you think this isn’t in the works already. My masters command that their children shall proliferate across the globe.
Of all public figures, I’d believe he’s the one who most likely to have accidentally ate tapeworm eggs while trying to slip them to someone else.
There are dozens of species of worm within that are all battling for supremacy.
Wuxia poisoners: spending generations to create perfect gu
Americans: accidentally creating perfect gu in their stomachs just to lose weight
I dunno what gu is chief, I assume it means you’re 90% worms by weight that puppet you like a suit.
It’s often mentioned in wuxia murim novels
Gu is a mysterious poison created by cultivating venomous creatures in ancient Chinese witchcraft legends, with its earliest mention found in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang Dynasty. Its typical method of creation involves placing various poisonous creatures into a sealed container to fight each other, with the sole survivor being called Gu, which can cause poisoning or death in humans.
Make your body a home for Papa Nurgle’s children. 🥰
Back in my day, we did it the natural way. With cigarettes.
shidding out your doodoo butt*
*latest fad
Have you ever smelt ozempic farts? Know someone who can clear out ROOMS whenever they pass wind
I just eat broccoli to gain the same superpower.
The what trend?
this kinda feels like “doctor warns against the tide pod challenge” again
Tide
podpool challenge: how much seawater can you drink!
You need a parasite to be severely dehydrated??? Skill issue
AbortionsPeptides for the rich,miniature American flagsPoop yourself to death bacteria for the poor!How long before some company has a SkinnyFast™ line of food intentionally contaminated with pathogens.
I lost 50 pounds on SKINNYFAST! [glamour shot of actress]
Call now to lock in your special tv pricing on a bundle of SKINNYFAST and our award winning TOILETGUARD system to stop pesky splashing from explosive diarrhea!
Text FAST to 223223
Why stop the splashing? spread the love
I’m sure it’ll be fine.
This isn’t even satire, it’s just how liberals talk about COVID—basically a random 2022 opinion piece from the New York Times in sketch form. I know you know this, but it makes me feel insane
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
The danger is really that you’re going to deplete yourself of the vital calories
Stop selling me on this
those influencers are being paid by taylor farms, aren’t they
Area Man Dan Bongos loses 150 pounds on new fad diet.
They can be less of a monstrosity by pooping all the fat, Americans are still hideous inside.
