There Are People Trying to Get the “Explosive Diarrhea” on Purpose. I Know Exactly What They’re Thinking.

Life July 22, 20261:17 PM Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Getty Images Plus. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. When I first heard about the Cyclospora outbreak, I held my breath—not because I was worried about getting sick but because I knew that all the talk about diarrhea would inevitably spur conversations about another d-word: dieting. Since the outbreak began last month, social media has been teeming with posts from people who say they want to contract cyclosporiasis to lose weight this summer. TikTokkers and Instagrammers who have gotten sick are posting before-and-afters crediting the ailment for their slimmer figures. Others are sharing videos of themselves eating or buying bagged sala