Woman swallows tapeworm to lose weight

This is an extreme diet taken to another level .
An Iowa woman told her doctor she bought a worm on the Internet and ingested in an attempt to lose weight. Apparently the doctor was so puzzled by the bad decision of his patient who had to call the health department to guide him .
The agency told the doctor to withdraw his patient worm with special medication to kill the parasite . Dr. Patricia Quinlisk , medical director of the Department of Public Health Iowa recounted the incident in an email on Thursday to public health employees .
" Eating tapeworms is extremely dangerous and could cause a lot of undesirable side effects , including death," wrote Quinlisk , according to Des Moines Register . " It is recommended that those wishing to lose weight adhere to proven methods to lose weight , consume fewer calories and increasing physical activity ."
Tapeworms are parasites that can occur in humans who consume undercooked meat . " A single can absorb enough food and nutrients to make a big difference in weight ... a parasite can cause anemia and malnutrition," says USA Today.