Influencers are trying the 'diarrhea diet' for rapid weight loss: the disturbing 'Cyclospora skinny' trend raises concerns
Anything to look skinny – that appears to be the motto of many ‘ SkinnyTok ’ influencers these days. When diet and exercise alone are not delivering enough ‘results’ and Ozempic looks out of reach, weight-loss daredevils are jumping on a disturbing trend: something called a ‘ diarrhea diet ’. As the US records 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across 34 states since 1 May, some TikTokers have decided that the parasite responsible is not a threat, but an opportunity. Why? To look slim, in the sickest way possible – literally.
Creators are posting videos of themselves eating raw salads and fresh produce with one very deliberate goal: catching the infection that causes prolonged, often violent diarrhea. The videos under the hashtags ‘diarrhea diet’ and ‘ Cyclospora skinny ’ are blowing up on the internet, raising concerns.
What is the ‘Cyclospora skinny’ trend?
The disturbing trend is all about somehow catching cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that causes watery diarrhea. This illness is often linked to eating contaminated raw produce. Some people think it is a quick way to lose weight, so certain creators are intentionally consuming unwashed or raw produce known to carry the parasite. This includes leafy greens, berries, and herbs like basil and cilantro, in the hope of catching the infection. Cyclospora, the parasite, enters the body through contaminated fresh produce. Once infected, it triggers severe diarrhea that can last for weeks and results in rapid water loss.
An East Coast content creator, Francesca, filmed herself with a massive salad bowl. “Me when I heard people are losing 15 to 20 pounds from the parasite,” she told her viewers. “Summer isn’t over yet,” she added in a video labelled satire. But the comments section, and the hashtags spreading beneath it, suggest plenty of people are not laughing. The video has garnered over 2.2 million views in a matter of hours. Hashtags such as ‘the diarrhea diet’ and ‘Cyclospora skinny’ are currently trending on SkinnyTok, a social media subculture already notorious for promoting extreme restriction and dangerous weight-loss methods – and the ‘diarrhea diet’ is one of them.
Risking it all for weight loss
There is a reason this idea gains traction on TikTok. The platform rewards shocking takes, and few are more shocking than celebrating parasitic infection. Creators in this space make money from engagement. Controversy drives engagement. The moral weight of encouraging illness does not register with the algorithm. Though some creators like Francesca use ‘satire’ as a fig leaf, it only works when the audience recognises irony, which is not usually the case. When viewers are already vulnerable to disordered thinking around food and weight, the line between joke and instruction blurs.
Creators are posting videos of themselves eating raw salads and fresh produce with one very deliberate goal: catching the infection that causes prolonged, often violent diarrhea. The videos under the hashtags ‘diarrhea diet’ and ‘ Cyclospora skinny ’ are blowing up on the internet, raising concerns.
What is the ‘Cyclospora skinny’ trend?
The disturbing trend is all about somehow catching cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that causes watery diarrhea. This illness is often linked to eating contaminated raw produce. Some people think it is a quick way to lose weight, so certain creators are intentionally consuming unwashed or raw produce known to carry the parasite. This includes leafy greens, berries, and herbs like basil and cilantro, in the hope of catching the infection. Cyclospora, the parasite, enters the body through contaminated fresh produce. Once infected, it triggers severe diarrhea that can last for weeks and results in rapid water loss.
An East Coast content creator, Francesca, filmed herself with a massive salad bowl. “Me when I heard people are losing 15 to 20 pounds from the parasite,” she told her viewers. “Summer isn’t over yet,” she added in a video labelled satire. But the comments section, and the hashtags spreading beneath it, suggest plenty of people are not laughing. The video has garnered over 2.2 million views in a matter of hours. Hashtags such as ‘the diarrhea diet’ and ‘Cyclospora skinny’ are currently trending on SkinnyTok, a social media subculture already notorious for promoting extreme restriction and dangerous weight-loss methods – and the ‘diarrhea diet’ is one of them.
Risking it all for weight loss
There is a reason this idea gains traction on TikTok. The platform rewards shocking takes, and few are more shocking than celebrating parasitic infection. Creators in this space make money from engagement. Controversy drives engagement. The moral weight of encouraging illness does not register with the algorithm. Though some creators like Francesca use ‘satire’ as a fig leaf, it only works when the audience recognises irony, which is not usually the case. When viewers are already vulnerable to disordered thinking around food and weight, the line between joke and instruction blurs.
Youngsters jumping on this bandwagon would rather throw caution to the wind if it means getting skinny. “Risking it all for the cyclospora because I simply cannot be bothered to change my diet,” Madi, from Texas, said as she posted a video of herself preparing vegetables.
Brittany Jade, a woman who had just given birth, thought the trend was worth trying. “When you’re freshly postpartum and get the explosive diarrhea parasite but now you’re down 20 pounds,” she bragged.
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