Physicians across the country are warning about a social media trend that treats a parasitic intestinal infection as a shortcut to weight loss, as the largest Cyclospora season on record continues to send people to the hospital.
The trend, circulating under the phrase "cyclospora skinny" and sometimes the "diarrhea diet," began as a joke about the appetite loss and rapid weight change that can accompany cyclosporiasis. Doctors say it has stopped being funny. Dr. Dhaval Desai, a physician trained in both pediatrics and internal medicine, told NewsNation that "this is a concerning trend," describing the parasite as a problematic bug that causes persistent diarrhea and abdominal cramping.
