The ones that go in/Are lean and thin

September 26, 2005 6:16 PM

I think I'll go eat...
posted by dilettante (16 comments total)

sweet merciful jebus....
posted by stilgar at 6:24 PM on September 26, 2005

Ahh, finally, I can rationalize/justify my less-than-clean ways.
posted by Mach3avelli at 6:29 PM on September 26, 2005

I betcha Anna has a few surprises for her first dates.
posted by fluffycreature at 6:39 PM on September 26, 2005

. . . after I cut away the hard dried exterior, and the maggots, this raw meat tastes surprisingly delicious. Mmmm, parasites.

I think I would like to start a new easy diet: Tapeworms. One or more of these in your gut and the pounds just melt away. Eat all you like. Pound the carbs, pound the beer, have a cheese steak for breakfast, pizza for lunch and hell, melt some butter and drink it for dinner. You still lose weight because the tapeworm will actually eat all the food before it gets to you. Twiggy here you come.
posted by caddis at 6:42 PM on September 26, 2005

"Given the number of eggs there, there's about 300 hookworms in my guts."

However, there's a useful effect - his hayfever has virtually disappeared, and now he is working on the powers of the hookworm with a view to developing an asthma drug.

Wow. Reminds me of the relationship between polio and sanitation. When sewage was everywhere, babies were regularly exposed to polioviruses and got a mild, non-paralytic form of the disease, which gave them immunity when exposed later in life. With improved sanitation and cleaner water in Northern Europe and the USA, that early immunization stopped happening, leading to a frightening increase in polio cases in older children and adults.

Tradeoffs, tradeoffs, tradeoffs. Neat post, dilettante.
posted by mediareport at 6:50 PM on September 26, 2005

between polio and sanitation

I never knew that. Cool.
posted by caddis at 6:54 PM on September 26, 2005

That post is comprised of five different links, one per word, each one queasy-making.

On the other hand, I might not do much better cooking for myself.
posted by davy at 7:09 PM on September 26, 2005

Don't forget the internet classic parasite tale, The Worm Within.
posted by clevershark at 7:20 PM on September 26, 2005

This was a great post, dilettante. Simple, elegant, and slightly gross. And right after dinner too. Perfect timing. :)
posted by Malor at 7:37 PM on September 26, 2005

caddis - I think I would like to start a new easy diet: Tapeworms.

It really works. Seriously. Fried of mine, finished sewing her own (ren-style) wedding dress, went to the Carribeans for a biology field trip, got a worm, came back 30 pounds lighter, had to alter the dress, give years out now, she's about twice as heavy as pre-tapeworm.

Should never have gotten rid of that worm.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 7:38 PM on September 26, 2005

And that's why I don't wash my hands after going to the bathroom!

. . . Er, that is, what?
posted by Anonymous at 7:45 PM on September 26, 2005

polio and sanitation

I should mention it's a popular theory, caddis, and that while some folks question the evidence for it (given the variation in size and location of the epidemics during the late 1800s/early 1900s), it's probably fair to say most epidemiologists would acknowledge some kind of link between improved sanitation and reduced immunity to polioviruses.
posted by mediareport at 9:21 PM on September 26, 2005

Bot Flies and Guinea Worms suck too.
posted by exlotuseater at 11:17 PM on September 26, 2005

This is really an excellent post. Thanks. Keep more like this coming.
posted by OmieWise at 5:53 AM on September 27, 2005

The germ exposure-increased immunity link has been a common discussion among moms for years. I know when my daughter was little there was the idea among my social group that allowing our little ones to crawl on the floor and eat dust was not a bad thing.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:29 AM on September 27, 2005

Worms - it's what's for dinner.
posted by nofundy at 10:42 AM on September 28, 2005