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AIBU?

To try and convince my sister not to take extreme measures to lose weight?

20 replies

susanketty · 17/05/2016 19:15

It's been a bit of an eventful last couple of days (a situation at work discussed in my other thread), and I have another thing I would like some thoughts on.

My sister is, quite frankly, really overweight, quite probably clinically obese. It's really a case of eating too much and not exercising enough, perhaps I seem harsh but this is the reality.

Anyway, to her credit, my sister has been trying to lose weight for the last five years and nothing has really worked. She has now become obsessed with the 'tape worm' weight loss method (I'm not sure the technical name, but she explained it as taking this pill and then the tape worm eats all your food). I had never heard of this before but I googled it this evening and it seems there are loads of cons to this method and it certainly sounds very dangerous to me (not to mention disgusting). Anyway, my sister has bought these pills off the internet (God knows where from) and is adamant she is going to take them.

She says I am trying to stop her from losing weight by asking her not to do this. Am I being unreasonable for trying to stop her from taking these pills? Has anyone had any experience of this method? I really don't know what to do to try and convince her to not do this as I'm almost certain there is nothing I can do as she is sure this is her only way.

OP posts:
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SnookieSnooks · 17/05/2016 19:22

Pills off the internet! Yikes! YANBU! They could be anything.

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susanketty · 17/05/2016 20:03

This is my worry, and, researching this more, it sounds incredibly dangerous. I have asked which website she bought the pills from and she did not answer. I really don't know if she is going to take them but she sounds serious.

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BillSykesDog · 17/05/2016 20:05

Fuck me no. Tapeworms are awful, and she could infect other people! I know a child who had one and cancer had to be ruled out he was that I'll.

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BillSykesDog · 17/05/2016 20:05

ill* ffs autocorrect

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SnookieSnooks · 17/05/2016 20:06

There are so many dodgy places online to get pills. Probably your sister is totally and utterly desperate and has got to the point that she is prepared to take big risks.

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StrawberrytallCake · 17/05/2016 20:08

😵 show her this very awful story which might make her think twice about Internet diet pills - times link

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Junosmum · 17/05/2016 20:10

There's an episode of 'house' where a girl gets tapeworm from pork and it migrates to her lungs and brains. Causes huge issues.

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icy121 · 17/05/2016 20:30

Eurgh! Op she sounds mad! There are plenty of extreme ways to shift weight quickly .... And subsequently gain it all back. The only sure fire way in my experience is to cut back drastically in sugar & carbs generally. Buy her Pure White & Deadly and the blood sugar diet. No one can get fat eating eggs and veg. Tapeworm is ridiculous.

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PirateFairy45 · 17/05/2016 20:31

What the hell???

Actually giving herself worms? She can't be serious.

Get her to speak to the doctor, if she is serious about weight loss then she could organise a meal plan for herself and make herself do more walking and something to make her sweat

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MrsJayy · 17/05/2016 20:40

A tapeworm can grow 30feet long 30!! Show her every horror story you can find she must really be struggiling if she is even thinking about this

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FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 17/05/2016 20:42

A friend of mine bought pills off the internet for weightloss.

Took her a weekend of hell for her mum to get her off them, they were just speed.

Your sister is an absolute idiot to consider it, I hope she is joking.

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MrsJayy · 17/05/2016 20:45

Woman i know took diet pills she bought from a tanning shop she was off her nut on them

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maggiethemagpie · 18/05/2016 21:00

You can try and persuade her to stop but she's an adult, it's up to her at the end of the day.

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Wolfiefan · 18/05/2016 21:02

What Maggie said. I'm sure if she found it easy to eat less and move more then she would do that. She sounds completely desperate.

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AgeOfEarthquakes · 18/05/2016 21:06

If she wants to shift lots of weight quickly there are ways she can do that relatively safely. Very Low Calorie diets like Lighter Life are one way to go. Low curbing is another. They both have their pros and cons but are undoubtedly preferable to dodgy pills off the internet.

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thecakeisalie · 18/05/2016 21:10

Diets don't work the majority of the time. Plus shaming about weight doesn't help. She must be absolutely desperate right now and I can understand that. I am obese and in the past I have considered vomiting after meals as a means to lose weight. I have also considered starving myself, existing on a very low calorie diet, gastric surgery and most extreme measures to lose weight.

What she needs now is to be told she is beautiful and worthy just the way she is. Her weight does not define her worth and putting her health at risk to be slimmer is totally unnecessary because she is loved for her not her body shape.

Some reading ideas for her would be Body respect or health at every size, Things nobody tells fat girls and as a way of eating that can result in weight loss - Intuitive Eating is a good book.

Please remind her she is more than her weight!!

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EatShitDerek · 18/05/2016 21:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Grilledaubergines · 18/05/2016 21:12

Yes I took diet pills 20 years ago. So naive. They were speed. My heart raced for weeks on end. I was hyper. I was up at 3.00am cleaning out the freezer and watering plants. I stopped them and thecweight went back on, plus an extra stone.

Offer to go to the dr or to slimming world or weight watchers. Buy her one of their magazines which show success from people who had similar amounts to lose.

Ultimately she needs to be at that point where she wants to do it properly.

If she won't take advice there's nothing you can do. She will probably and hopefully feel so awful that she stops taking them soon enough

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HazelBite · 18/05/2016 21:14

She's mad, one of my cats sicked up a tapeworm years ago. if you had seen the size of this tapeworm from a very small cat!!!!
She can lose weight quickly by going on a lighter life plan, or the cambridge diet.
My SIL used Lighter life and lost a huge amount, my DIL swears by Slimming World.
Does she actually know a REAL person who has tried this barmy diet, not only barmy but dangerous

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PacificDogwod · 18/05/2016 21:17

YANBU to consider this 'method' dangerous and insane Shock, but whether you'll be able to persuade a determined grown adult to desist….? I don't know, you know your sister and will have an idea what your chances are.

I'll just leave this alternative, EVIDENCE BASED method here

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