Kevin Trudeau’s Weight Loss Cure subject of suit by the FTC
The infomercials for Kevin Trudeau are now legendary. First came “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t want you to know about” followed up by his latest commercials for his book “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.” The Federal Trade Commission has charged Kevin Trudeau of violating a court order by claiming ” the weight loss plan outlined in the book is easy to do, can be done at home and ultimately allows readers to eat whatever they want.” The FTC maintains that “when consumers purchase the book, they find it describes a complex, grueling plan that requires severe dieting, daily injections of a prescription drug (human growth hormone) that consumers cannot easily get, and lifelong dietary restrictions.”
His infomercials promise:
“…it’s easy to do, you can do it at home…”
“I can attest, it was the easiest, simplest, most effective thing I’ve ever done.”
“And when you’re done with the protocol, eat whatever you want and you don’t gain the weight back.”
“I can eat whatever I want now, anything and as much as I want any time I want. No restrictions now. And the weight’s not coming back. You don’t gain the weight back.”
The Weight Lose Cure Diet Plan
- Phase one includes getting 15 “colonics” from a licensed colon therapist during a 30-day period, walking outside for one continuous hour each day, taking saunas as often as possible, eating six times a day, eating only organic meat and dairy, and eating 100 grams of organic meat right before bed.
- During the required third phase, the consumer can eat as much as they want for 21 days, but the foods must be only 100% organic, with no sweeteners (natural or artificial), no starches (bread, pasta, potatoes, white flour, etc.), no nitrites, and no trans fats. In addition, the book strongly recommends that consumers get massages, take saunas often, take homeopathic human growth hormone, and limit their exposure to air conditioning and fluorescent lighting.
- Requires a 500 calorie/day diet for 21 to 45 days, and the consumer cannot use any medicines, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs, most cosmetics, and no creams, lotions, or moisturizers.
- Consumers must follow the fourth phase of the protocol for the rest of their lives, with severe dietary prohibitions, including: no “brand name” food; no fast food, regional, or national chain restaurants; no food that is not 100% organic; no super highly refined sugars; no artificial sweeteners; no trans fats; no monosodium glutamate; no food with nitrites; no meat, poultry, or dairy that is not 100% organic; no farm-raised fish; and no food cooked in a microwave.
Kevin is a obviously a favorite around the FTC offices considering:
- FTC first sued Trudeau in 1998, alleging that he made false and unsubstantiated claims for hair growth, memory, and weight loss products sold through infomercials.
- In 2003, the FTC challenged Trudeau’s marketing of Coral Calcium Supreme and Biotape, a purported pain-relief product. To settle the FTC’s charges, in 2004 Trudeau paid $2 million and agreed to a court order banning him from infomercials, with a narrow exemption for infomercials for books and other publications that specifically required that Trudeau not misrepresent the contents of the books or publications. The violation of this exemption is the basis for this latest suit.
Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh in…
Kevin Trudeau has certainly gained unfavorable attention of the FTC. I guess Mr Trudeau was referring to the FTC as “they” when he says “the weight loss cure ‘they’ don’t want you to know about.”
While some of his recommendations are dubious (colonics, very low calorie diet plan, eating organic meat before bed time), he does make some good points such as daily walking and eating organic foods. Additionally the recommendations for no fast food, no refined sugars, no trans fats, and no foods with nitrites are nutritionally sound. However the rest of his advice is not only misleading but potentially dangerous. Frankly I have seen other diets, including many detox diets, that are just as, if not more, dangerous that Mr Trudeau’s. Yet the authors of these diets are not being singled out by the FTC.
Just goes to show don’t piss off the FTC!
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6 comments
Yeah, Kevin has been pushing every snake oil remedy under the sun. Finally he smartened up and started printing books which is protected by the first amendment. But surprise surprise, if you order the book online you will also get charged for a monthly newsletter.
Great blog btw
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptFirst came “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don’t want you to know about” followed up by his latest commercials for his book “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.” The Federal Trade Commission has charged Kevin Trudeau of … [...]
The Weight Loss Cure absolutely works & is safe. Dr. Simeons an Italian Doctor developed the protocol in the 1930’s when he worked with obese patients. He found that the problem had to do with the hypothalamus. So he went about trying to find out how to reset the metabolism. When you take HCG it causes your body to kick out 2,000 calories of your own fat to burn as fuel so you are receiving enough nourishment on this 500 calorie diet from your own fat. The 500 calories is very precise & must be followed as it is the catalast to the fat burning process. It is absolutely magnificint. The only caution i have in my experience is you MUST drink 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon of water. You lose weight so fast it is amazing. I lost 20 lbs & it stayed off. Usually as soon as i stop a diet i gain it back immediately. Kevin’s added information really helps those that are toxic & have never done a cleanse & helps with the weight loss. Dr. Simeons patients didn’t have all the toxins in their food & environment to deal with like we do today. Dr. Simeons wrote “Pounds & Inches”: A New Approach to Obesity. That will give you “The Weight Lose Cure” protocol in all its simplicity. Hope this helps clarify some issues.
Everything in Kevins books is true, but you must do every thing he says and exactly, he specifies that early in the book. If you skim through and use bits and pieces halfhazardly you could put yourself in danger ,especially if you’re using the book in place of a doctor or pill drugs. He’s probably honest it’s just hard to look good when going up against all the corruption in the “BIG GOV” and the medical industry. They’re pretty powerful. Also they’ll do ANTHING to protect their money and power. Natural healing is a big threat to compettitors only because if it’s done RIGHT it’s very effective. otherwise why wold the government or competitors be worried about it. Keep in mind the government, the medical industry, and the f.d.a. are all, sadly, conected so who do we trust? A theif or his best friend.
I was on the weight program last fall. I finished just before Christmas. I lost 28 lbs. I have since gained it back. I spent over $2000 on it. Money which I do not have. I am post menopausal and had break through bleeding due to the hormone shots. I had to have a DNC operation to see if I had cancer as the lining of my uterus thickened up by 50%. Thank God I did not have it. I do not recommend this program. I phoned their customer service line but all I got was yes mame
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It is HCG – not human growth hormone as stated in the article. HGH is dangerous, imo – and sounds like the program Margaret used.
I have lost 17 pounds so far in 17 days – after months of research before deciding to move forward. My wife has lost 12. I recommend finding a doctor to supervise the program to ensure that your lab work is done, medical history reviewed, and your vitals are being monitored before attempting ANY weight-loss program – especially one that has such startling results.
While I think the publicity for the protocol is good, KT is once again simply making money from someone else’s work. Don’t let him and his history dissuade you from talking with a professional treatment facility supervised by a medical doctor regarding whether HCG can work for you. For *ME* – yes – it truly is a weight-loss cure.
My treatment program is not ridiculously complicated like KT’s. It is simply hcg, low-cal diet, and lifestyle changes which will last long-term. If you eat garbage and live a sedentary lifestyle after ANY weight loss program, I guarantee you… you will gain the weight back.
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