As cyclospora cases spread throughout the United States, more people are making jokes about the “benefits” of the intestinal parasite, reports BritPanorama.
The toilet humor took a disturbing turn when some individuals 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. Online creators are jokingly featuring themselves headed to stores for raw produce or eating berries in the hopes of getting sick and losing weight — despite the risk of discomfort and dehydration.
“The fact that many people’s first reaction to a disease outbreak is to joke about weight loss speaks to how deeply diet culture has shaped our thinking,” said registered dietitian and psychiatric nurse practitioner Dr. Whitney Trotter, CEO of Project Heal, a nonprofit that aims to remove barriers to eating disorder treatment. These comments, she says, “contribute to a culture that minimizes both eating disorders and the seriousness of infectious diseases.”
Posts about getting thin by “parasite-maxxing” appear alongside restrictive diet tips on social media. Although the hashtag #SkinnyTok was banned on TikTok for encouraging disordered eating behaviors, creators continue to promote extreme weight-loss content. Some proudly declare, “got back to my pre-pregnancy weight” from severe diarrhea, while others refer to their newfound figure as “cyclospora skinny.”
“What worries me is that it’s just so reckless, and it normalizes the lengths people would go to in order to be thinner,” said Zoë Bisbing, a licensed clinical social worker and body image therapist.
Using social media is already risky for individuals vulnerable to eating disorders. The parasite posts — even when created in jest — add to the normalization and reinforcement of anti-fat bias, fat phobia, and the elevation of thinness. Trotter noted that for individuals living with or recovering from an eating disorder, such messaging can be incredibly triggering. “It normalizes illness-induced weight loss and perpetuates the belief that suffering is an acceptable or even desirable path to changing one’s body,” she explained.
The temporary weight loss from parasitic diarrhea resembles dangerous purging behaviors common to individuals with bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Trotter emphasized the medical consequences of severe gastrointestinal illness, drawing parallels to eating disorder behaviors such as laxative misuse.
“Laxatives do not meaningfully prevent calorie absorption or promote healthy weight loss, but they can lead to dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, kidney injury, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and, in severe cases, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias,” Trotter added.
Although creators may label their posts as satire, Trotter observed these jokes still “reinforce the harmful idea that any amount of weight loss is inherently positive, regardless of the physical or psychological cost.” Humor can serve as an effective response to stressful news, but laughing about diarrhea-induced weight loss may do more harm than good.
“It’s gross, even as a joke, because there’s always a little kernel of truth in jokes. It’s so worrisome because it normalizes the pursuit of thinness at any cost,” Bisbing remarked. The trend of making jokes about rapid weight loss underscores a pervasive issue where many view their bodies as unworthy, compelling them to strive for thinness.
The comments reflect how individuals might prioritize weight loss over health, indicating a deeper societal issue. Bisbing expressed concern over the commentary but noted it is not surprising. The pursuit of thinness is often marketed as vital for longevity, yet she cautioned that “it’s not about health, folks. This is about, how can I get skinny.”
The cyclospora outbreak isn’t the first instance in which an illness has been romanticized as a means to rapid weight loss. Trotter referenced past online chatter about people joking about being “AIDS skinny” during her HIV/AIDS outreach work.
Wishing for a debilitating infection to lose a few pounds can serve as a wake-up call to critically assess internalized diet culture views about body size. If you find yourself hoping for contaminated lettuce, consider whether you are truly caring for your body or just trying to control and shrink it. As Trotter stated, “I hope this moment encourages us to think more critically about our relationship with weight and health.”
