Adipose lice were parasites that consumed fat stored in the adipose tissue of their hosts. They were under study at several locations as an expensive and potentially dangerous method of weight loss; when injected into the fat deposits of a sedated patient, the lice would eat voraciously, resulting in dramatic weight loss in a matter of hours. Once the target weight had been achieved, the patient would be injected with a selective toxin targeted at the lice, killing them.