A woman in Iowa orders a tapeworm online in a desperate bout to lose weight and eventually tells her doctor about it.

In utter disbelief and with such little clue on what to do, the woman's doctor decide to call the Iowa Department of Public Health for aid, considering just how dangerous the decisions of the extreme dieter was. The doctor was then instructed by the department to give the woman, whose name has not yet been disclosed, anti-worm medication.

Medical director Dr Patricia Quinlisk shares that "Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths," and continues, "Those desiring to lose weight are advised to stick with proven weight loss methods; consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity."

Tapeworms come in six different varieties but all thrive in fecal-infested food, raw or undercooked meat. Normally, they are found on beef. They can even come from an infected person who's preparing the food. When ingested, symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and mineral deficiencies.

Its danger lies when tapeworms reach the other parts of the body such as one's liver, heart or even the brain. Tapeworms can even live for years just being in the intestines and could grow as long as seven feet.

Dr. Quinlisk shares that about a century ago, peddlers would sell diet pills with tapeworm eggs inside it, which could have been discovered by the Iowa woman who was in such desperation to shed some pounds.

Supermodel and TV personality Tyra Banks has previously exposed the tapeworm diet in her show, urging people not to even think about going through such extremities. In the US alone, the tapeworm diet is banned by the FDA so selling and importing the parasites is illegal in the country.

And here we thought we've seen it all.