AS FAR as extreme weight loss measures go, there's fat chance most of us would try this at home.

A dieter in Iowa ordered a tapeworm off the internet in a desperate bid to lose weight and then told her doctor about her extreme weight loss measure.

Her physician was so stumped by the news and with little clue what to do next he called the Iowa Department of Public Health for help.

Iowa's Public Health Department medical director Dr Patricia Quinlisk told the GP to prescribe an anti-worm medication and then issued a warning to health workers about the dangerous practice.

She said: "Ingesting tapeworms is extremely risky and can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects, including rare deaths," she wrote.

"Those desiring to lose weight are advised to stick with proven weight loss methods; consuming fewer calories and increasing physical activity."

Tapeworms live in the human digestive tract and their larvae can be absorbed by eating undercooked meat.

The symptoms can go unnoticed and can lead to weight loss and headaches - among other things.

Originally published as Woman buys tapeworm online, eats to lose weight