A social media trend dubbed "cyclospora skinny" is drawing warnings from medical professionals after users began joking that the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis could serve as a rapid weight-loss method. The trend comes as Arizona health officials investigate 36 locally acquired cases of the intestinal illness, and doctors are stressing that treating a genuine foodborne parasite infection as a dieting shortcut is dangerous and irresponsible.

Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite behind the illness, causes a painful intestinal infection, and its spread has been linked to contaminated produce. Nationally, more than 4,000 cyclosporiasis cases have been reported across 41 states, with the FDA continuing efforts to trace the source, though officials say the outbreak is not yet fully under control.