Now calm down vegans, vegetarians and squeamish omnivores. According to snopes.com, a product such as this may have been available from around 1900 to 1920, but there's no substantial proof that the product actually contained tapeworms. It may have been just another fraudulent product marketed to susceptible people as a scam. It's not certain if anyone has ever tried to lose weight by swallowing a tapeworm. The person most associated with the possibility was opera singer Maria Callas, who was known to suffer from tapeworm, and also to struggle with weight issues. However, it's generally believed she acquired her tapeworm from her habit of eating raw meat.
Aren't you glad you're vegan?
Thus ends week 2 of VeganMoFo 2011. Next week I'll be seriously reviewing cookbooks and restaurants. Have a great weekend! I'm on my way to the East Coast.
