Doctor warns against ‘cyclospora skinny’ trend

Healthcare Doctor warns against ‘cyclospora skinny’ trend Comments: by Steph Whiteside - 07/31/26 7:23 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Steph Whiteside - 07/31/26 7:23 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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(NewsNation) — An outbreak of the disease-causing parasite cyclospora has infected thousands of Americans from coast to coast and has given rise to a dangerous trend called “cyclospora skinny.“

What began as a joke about the infection symptoms like weight loss and low appetite is now prompting warnings from health professionals.

Dr. Dhaval Desai, pediatric physician and internal medicine doctor, joined NewsNation to talk about the trend.

“This is a concerning trend. We’ve been talking about cyclospora for a few weeks. It is a problematic bug that can cause persistent diarrhea, abdominal cramping, feeling very uncomfortable,” he said. “It is not something that you would want.”

Desai noted that some social media influencers are talking about losing weight by getting cyclospora so they can drop pounds quicker. He added it isn’t a good way to burn weight and will make people feel worse.

“Getting ill from cyclospora is not burning fat. It is your body in a stressed state losing fluid, electrolytes, protein, all in a way that is gonna ultimately probably make you sicker,” Desai said.

Most of the weight loss with cyclospora comes from dehydration. Not only will people regain the weight when they recover, but Desai also noted that there can be dangerous consequences.

“The danger is really that you’re going to deplete yourself of the vital nutrients, the vital calories, the vital proteins that you need, which are our daily building blocks,” he said.

While being overweight is stigmatized, Desai stressed the need to lose weight in a healthy way.

“It’s about being healthy, not being skinny. So when we want to lose weight, we need to do it the appropriate way where we’re still maintaining the appropriate calories, the electrolytes, the nutrition,” he said.

The trend also comes amid increased use of GLP-1s and a focus on weight loss and being skinny. The doctor says it’s important for people to be mindful of where they are getting health information online.

“We are in a society with social media, the trends, the influencers out there, which many people are listening more to influencers for their health advice rather than physicians and healthcare providers,” he added.

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