Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Mark Trudeau (born February 6 1963) is an American author, pocket billiards promoter (founder of the International Pool Tour), convicted felon, salesman, and alternative medicine advocate. He is known for a number of television infomercials selling his products, and for several books, including Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About. Trudeau has had numerous interactions with the U.S. judicial system, including multiple fines and a larceny conviction. The Federal Trade Commission currently restricts his ability to promote and sell any product or service. However, he is permitted to promote books and other publications due to free-speech protection under the First Amendment as long as they are not used to promote or sell products or services.



Early life
Trudeau grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts, USA. He is the adopted son of Robert and Mary Trudeau. He attended St. Mary's High School, where he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by the class of 1981.

Career
His news-style infomercials – broadcast frequently on late night TV in North America – have promoted a range of products, including health aids, dietary supplements (like coral calcium), real estate investment strategies, and memory-improvement courses. In some cases, his marketing and business practices have resulted in fines from securities and trade regulators. His latest series of infomercials features his book Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About. In it he makes claims about the safety and health of our food supply, arguing that diseases such as cancer can be cured with naturopathic remedies. He likewise maintains that the pharmaceutical industry is actively suppressing these cures so they can continue to profit from their patented treatments. After criticism that the book did not contain any natural cures promised in his infomercials - Trudeau claims that he was not able to include them because of threats from the Federal Trade Commission - Trudeau released an updated version of the original book. After the success of the first book and its updated version he published a new book titled More Natural Cures Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease (ISBN 0-9755995-4-2). According to Kevin Trudeau, the book contains the names of actual brand name products that will cure a myriad of illnesses.

Critics of Trudeau point to his criminal history and lack of medical training and warn buyers to be wary of his advice. Nevertheless, Trudeau's commercials have been successful. Natural Cures was listed in September 2005 by the New York Times as the number-one-selling current nonfiction book in the United States for 25 weeks, and has sold more than five million copies. In addition, Kevin Trudeau has claimed to have countless thank-you letters from people who have taken his advice and improved their quality of life.

Trudeau's latest book is The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You To Know About, published in 2007. Like his other products, this book is the subject of much controversy, as it offers weight loss solutions that cannot be legally obtained in the U.S., such as hCG injections. The book also claims in its Phase 1 that colon cleansing is a key to effective weight loss. The online consumer watch dog group Consumeraffairs.com has received many complaints about the book.

1990: Larceny and prison
In 1990, Trudeau posed as a doctor in order to deposit $80,000 in false checks, and in 1991 he pled guilty to larceny after he had provided false information to obtain credit cards which he used for his own purposes. He spent two years in prison because of this conviction (Choi, 2005). In Natural Cures, Trudeau claims that he has learned from his experience, and that he is now motivated to help people rather than merely to make money for himself.

1996: SEC
Trudeau rebounded, making a large sum of money working for Nutrition For Life, a multi-level marketing program. However, in 1996, his recruitment practices were cited by the states of Illinois and Michigan, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Michigan forbade him from operating in the state.

1998: FTC fine
In 1998, Trudeau was fined $500,000 to be used for consumer redress by the FTC, relating to six infomercials he had produced and in which the FTC determined he had made false or misleading claims. Trudeau says that this is evidence for his belief that the FTC is in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and pharmaceutical industries in denying people the right to freedom of health care for the sake of profit at the expense of U.S. citizens.

2004: Contempt of court
In June 2003, the FTC filed a complaint in the Northern District of Illinois against Trudeau and some of his companies (Shop America (USA), LLC, Shop America Marketing Group, LLC, and Trustar Global Media, Limited), alleging that disease-related claims for Coral Calcium Supreme were false and unsubstantiated. In July 2003, Trudeau entered into a stipulated preliminary injunction that prohibited him from continuing to make the challenged claims for Coral Calcium Supreme and Biotape.

In the summer of 2004, the court found Trudeau in contempt of court for violating the preliminary injunction, because he had sent out a direct mail piece and produced an infomercial making prohibited claims. The court ordered Trudeau to cease all marketing for coral calcium products.

In September 2004, Trudeau agreed to pay $2 million ($500,000 in cash plus transfer of residential property located in Ojai, California, and a luxury vehicle) to settle charges that he falsely claimed that a coral calcium product can cure cancer and other serious diseases and that a purported analgesic called Biotape can permanently cure or relieve severe pain.

2005: Trudeau v. FTC
On February 28 2005, Trudeau filed a complaint against the FTC in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Trudeau also filed a motion for preliminary injunction, which the court denied.

The complaint charged that the FTC had retaliated against him for his criticism of the agency by issuing a press release that falsely characterized and intentionally and deliberately misrepresented the 2004 Final Order. That conduct, Trudeau asserted, exceeded the FTC’s authority under 15 U.S.C. § 46(f) and violated the First Amendment. The Federal Trade Commission responded with a motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), and for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted under Rule 12(b)(6).

The district court granted the FTC’s motion to dismiss. First, the court concluded that it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction because the press release was not “a ‘final agency action’” under “section 704 of the [Administrative Procedure Act]”, 5 U.S.C. § 704. Second, the court held, “in the alternative, that Trudeau’s claims failed to state a viable cause of action as a matter of law.”

Trudeau later filed an appeal which resulted in the unsuccessful attempt to reverse the previous court's ruling.

Natural Cures
Trudeau begins his book Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About with a personal story. It says that at the age of 21, he discovered he had a mitral valve defect in his heart, and that this was an incurable debilitating condition according to established medicine. He writes that his life was saved by a live cell injection procedure, which he underwent in Mexico because it was banned in the United States. The story has been criticized by consumer watchdog groups and medical doctors as being inconsistent. The symptoms of the condition he names (mitral valve prolapse) are generally surreptitious. Consumer groups and doctors say the treatment he describes could not have altered the structure of his heart.

FDA
Trudeau says in his book that the Food and Drug Administration is actively banning all-natural cures so that consumers are forced to buy drugs and therefore support the drug industry. He also says that there are all-natural cures for serious ailments such as cancer, attention deficit disorder, arthritis, acid reflux disease, herpes, and many other diseases. He writes that “It's all about the money! See why I am mad as all hell and not going to take it anymore??” (Updated Ed., p. 16)

Trudeau has no medical training or expertise, although he says that this fact makes him the most qualified to make these claims, as he is not a part of the pharmaceutical industry, American Medical Association, or FDA. His book refers to various studies supporting its claims, only vaguely, without specific citations to verify them. He also says that the book's claims are only his opinions, and in the chapter "I Should Be Dead Now" that there are virtually no medical facts.

Treatment plans
A repeated criticism of the first edition of the book was the lack of treatment plans for any illnesses within its pages, instead containing references to Trudeau's subscription-based website where the actual 'cures' were supposedly posted. Trudeau himself acknowledges that "if you are looking for a particular cure for a particular disease, you are missing the point to this book." He says that people have been "brainwashed" by the drug industry to think that a cure is a chemical compound which, when ingested, causes disease to simply disappear; according to Trudeau, this form of cure does not exist and never will. Instead, the cures he promotes are actually "lifestyle changes" which "help the body to heal itself."

He says that almost all diseases are caused by either nutritional deficiencies, toxins in the body (such as pesticide, herbicides, artificial colors from food, sweeteners, and preservatives, or fluoride and chlorine in conventional tap water), electromagnetic chaos ("I've been able to cure men of infertility by having them stop using laptop computers"), or stress; this weakens the body, making one vulnerable to infection and disease. Treating the causes will result in eliminating the disease. For example, he advocates organic homemade juice fasts for the purpose of getting nutritional benefits without ingesting the chemical additives found in conventional processed food.

Alternative medicine
One of his suggestions for losing weight is to have 15 colonics over a span of 30 days. On his first infomercial advertising his book, Trudeau gave out his medical opinions, such as the idea that if one's body's pH is alkaline, one will virtually never get sick. He also says that, through his research, all cancer patients he has observed have an acidic body.

Critics have disputed this statement, asserting that one's body can be neither basic nor acidic as blood pH is essentially neutral, tending to slightly alkaline, with a normal pH range of between 7.35 and 7.45; and any significant deviation from that could result in serious illness or death (acidosis or alkalosis).

On one of his latest infomercials, Trudeau offers a companion CD, Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days — The Weight Loss Secret "They" Don't Want You to Know About, the title of which Trudeau says has been "censored by the FTC". Trudeau earlier promoted a version of this book on a CD with the title covered in an effort to establish his claims of censorship.

Support of Scientology
In Natural Cures, Trudeau recommends practicing Scientology/Dianetics to live a healthier lifestyle. It is uncertain whether he is a Scientologist himself. It is possible that he mentions Scientology as an alternative to psychiatrists due to the latter's practice, in his opinion, of merely prescribing a drug that suppresses the symptoms rather than treating the cause.

Media interviews
Trudeau has been interviewed by CNN's Paula Zahn, Matt Lauer of NBC's Today Show, and Harry Smith of CBS's The Early Show. Trudeau was also the subject of investigative reports done by Inside Edition, ABC's 20/20 and Dateline NBC.

During interviews, Trudeau has often said that the television program in which he is being interviewed is “owned” by the drug companies. This frequently happens when a statement by Trudeau is refuted as being untrue, such as his statements that the FTC could find no wrong-doing in any case brought against him. In some cases Trudeau has told his supporters, via his newsletters, that he has been “attacked” on a particular program or by a particular interviewer.

He says that he has been offered taped interviews, which he refused. When he requested a live interview, no live interview was granted. On another occasion, he relates that a "Good Morning America" television crew arrived early in the morning while he was asleep. He says that they started shouting accusations at him and — as he was not showered, fed, or dressed — he could not come out and answer. According to Trudeau, he had to call the police to have them removed from his property. The television crew then aired the footage, claiming he denied them an interview.

Retail
In August 2005, the drug store chain Walgreens pulled the book from its shelves, but the book continues to be sold at Sam's Club and elsewhere. Millions of copies have already been sold through retailers Barnes & Noble, Costco, and Wal-Mart.

More Natural Cures
In May of 2006, Trudeau published a less-publicized book, More Natural "Cures" Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease (Alliance Publishing).

Book: The Weight Loss Cure
In April 2007, Trudeau released another book, titled "The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About". The book describes a 3 phase multi-month plan originally made famous by British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons in the 1950s. The first phase involves switching to all organic foods with repeated colonic and liver cleansing. This is followed by a 2nd-phase period of daily hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) injections under the direction of a healthcare provider. In Phase 3, use of hCG stops, but food must continue to be 100% organic. Other recommended activities include walking an hour a day or more and doing breathing exercises.

Critics note that as early as 1962, the Journal of the American Medical Association warned against the Simeons Diet. Others note that in 1976, the FTC ordered clinics and promoters of the Simeons Diet and hCG to cease making false claims about the effectiveness of hCG and its approval status by the FDA for weight loss. Clinical research trials published by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that hCG is ineffective as a weight-loss aid.

Criticism of infomercials


After the Federal Trade Commission's ban on Trudeau (applying to almost everything except publications) went into effect, Trudeau went into the publishing business. The FTC concluded that prohibiting him from selling publications would infringe upon his First Amendment rights. All of his recent infomercials advertise his books, Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About (there were at least five different versions of that infomercial, airing in 2004 and 2005) and The Weight Loss Cure. One notable co-host was Tammy Faye Messner.

Pharmaceutical companies
Trudeau argues that pharmaceutical companies "don't want us to get well" because curing disease is not nearly so profitable as treating it perpetually. According to Trudeau, the corporate profit motive overrides the human desire to truly help people.

Trudeau says that natural treatments cannot be patented, and are not profitable enough to justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars in testing--so they will always lack FDA approval. Trudeau uses herpes as an example, saying that people with herpes must buy an expensive drug for the rest of their lives. He says that if there were a cheap, easy cure for herpes, the FDA and pharmaceutical companies would not want the population to know about it, because corporate profits would suffer.

He frequently cites the number of advertisements on television for prescription drugs, and points out that prescription drugs should be advertised to doctors, not the general public.

He states in one infomercial that there are twelve known cures for cancer, but that they are being kept from the general public by the FDA, the FTC, and the pharmaceutical companies. He also says that the FDA and the FTC are two of the most corrupt organizations in America, and that there is a long list of chemical ingredients that are secretly not required to be on the FDA ingredients label which are damaging to human health.

Trudeau offers what some would call a conspiracy theory, claiming that the drug industry and the FDA work with each other to effectively deceive the public by banning all-natural cures, in order to protect the profits of the drug industry. In addition, Trudeau says that FDA commissioners who leave the FDA to work for large drug companies are paid millions of dollars. In any other industry, according to Trudeau, this would be called "bribery", a "conflict of interest" or "payoffs." Trudeau also says in his infomercials that the food industry is including chemicals (such as MSG) to get people "addicted to food" and to "make people obese."

Trudeau has also declared that he will lead a crusade against the FDA and the FTC, and will make an effort to sue companies who promote false claims in advertising such as leading pharmaceutical companies. On February 28, 2005, Trudeau filed a complaint against the FTC in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Trudeau also filed a motion for preliminary injunction, which the court denied. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FTC's motion to dismiss. Trudeau later filed an appeal which resulted in the unsuccessful attempt to reverse the previous court's ruling.

References to scientific studies
One of the major complaints about Trudeau's infomercials is that he makes only vague references to scientific studies, making them impossible to cross-check for accuracy. The same criticism exists for the anecdotal evidence he presents in the infomercials. He does not mention names of people who have been cured by his methods. For example, he tells a story in an infomercial about "a friend from England" who came to his house and complained of heartburn. He also references a study done on the antidepressant qualities of St. John's Wort compared to two prescription medications. He claims that the media reported St. John's Wort was "proven ineffective in study", but critics say that none of the medicines tested were effective at combating depression.

Critics say that by not referencing studies to substantiate claims, Trudeau gets into a conflict with the FTC. The infomercials suggest that these subjects will be addressed further in the book, but critics don't believe this. Readers of his book are often referred to his website to find Trudeau's suggested natural cures, where a fee must be paid for its use.

Newspaper article
An Associated Press article by Candice Choi on the infomercials elaborates on the success and problems of the programs. Choi says that by repeatedly mentioning government sanctions against him, Trudeau "anticipated any backlash with his cuckoo conspiracy theory" and can partially deflect any criticism of him or his infomercials. Trudeau's use of the word "cure" is an issue for regulators. Also, bookstores are polled on their decisions to sell or not sell a successful and controversial self-published book.

No medical training
One common criticism by consumer groups is that Trudeau has had no medical training. Trudeau responds that by not having such, he is not biased towards pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, and that medical doctors "are taught only how to write out prescriptions" for "poisons" and "cut out pieces of a person's anatomy." (Natural Cures, Chapter 1 - I Should Be Dead By Now)

No basis in research
Another criticism is that Trudeau's claims are usually not backed by research, and that much of his information is an overpriced repackaging of preexisting natural cure remedies. Trudeau himself acknowledges that the "cures" are not his; he did not invent them or discover them, but merely believes in them and uses them.

Trudeau's rhetoric is often inconsistent with basic biological facts. In the Shop America infomercial for "The Weight-Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want you to Know About," he claims that following the protocol detailed in the book switches off the hypothalamus gland, thereby suppressing hunger. He then claims that once your appetite is suppressed, your metabolism will skyrocket, allowing you to eat meals such as prime rib, pasta, and hot fudge sundaes. If the amount of calories burned exceeds the amount of calories taken in by food, then this naturally leads to hunger.

No proof of claims
Trudeau has also been criticized for his inability to provide substantial evidence to back up many of his claims. Although he provides anecdotal evidence, he has not provided evidence that such customer claims have been evaluated by a licensed medical practitioner. As such, any claims made by Trudeau or his supporters that his book or other business endeavours have helped people cannot be verified and are based solely on testimonials. In instances where Trudeau has been asked to provide proof of his claims, he has misinterpreted medical studies or cited dubious or fictitious studies. This includes, but is not limited to, a nonexistent 25 year research study involving a natural cure for diabetes at the University of Calgary.

False endorsements
In August 2005, the New York Consumer Protection Board warned consumers that Trudeau has used false claims of endorsements to promote his products, noting that the back cover of Natural Cures includes false endorsements. Further, the NYCPB states that Trudeau's television ads “give the false impression that Tammy Faye opposes chemotherapy in favor of the ‘natural cures’ in Trudeau’s book.” A representative for Tammy Faye said that is not true and that she is starting chemotherapy again.

The back cover includes the following quote from Dr. Herbert Ley, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who died three years before the book was written: “The thing that bugs me is that people think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what people think it's doing are as different as night and day.” Trudeau's lawyer, David J. Bradford says that this quote does not constitute a false endorsement of his book by Ley, but rather, is merely a statement that is in line with the purport of his book.

Audio tapes: “Mega Memory”
Trudeau adapted techniques used to improve the memory of the blind and the mentally challenged to create Advanced Mega Memory and Mega Memory audio tapes. He also founded the American Memory Institute. His promotion of memory-enhancing products was put to an end by an FTC crackdown, which determined that the programs involved would not enable users to achieve a photographic memory, as the advertising claimed.

Non-surgical facelift
In addition to Natural Cures, Trudeau also hosted an infomercial that features the "Perfect Lift" non-surgical face lift. In England, this infomercial was found to violate the ITC advertising rules.

Trudeau partners with Donald Barrett and ITV Direct
On September 11 2006, Donald Barrett and ITV Direct announced that they had partnered with Trudeau to market both of his "Natural Cures" books. Trudeau also worked with ITV to create ITV Ventures, a new MLM group based out of ITV's home office. As of December 2006, ITV Direct has pulled all information concerning both this partnership and Trudeau's books from its corporate website; however, the infomercials have continued to run as of September 16, 2007.

International Pool Tour
Trudeau founded the International Pool Tour (IPT), with some of the largest purses and prizes given out in billiards. This has attracted the interest of some of the top pool players in the world. It's also different from the many 9-Ball tournaments, as all IPT events are Eight ball games with very strict rules. Many pool enthusiasts were skeptical initially at the launch, but the first event was successful. Some of the best pool players in the world competed in the IPT for enormous payouts. Winning US$250,000 or more was a tremendous boon to a professional pool player who previously might typically only win $5,000 to $15,000 for a tournament victory.

Trudeau's investment into pool brought pool players from around the world out of the woodwork by investing millions of dollars in an attempt to elevate pool as a legitimate sport.

The first IPT event, the King of the Hill Shootout held in Las Vegas, Nevada, was an exhibition match between Mike Sigel and Loree Jon Jones in 2005. Later that year in December 2005, an invitational King of the Hill Shootout occurred at the Orlando Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, consisting of 42 players who competed in a round-robin format. BCA Hall of Famers in attendance received $30,000 just for showing up. Efren Reyes defeated Sigel in the finals and pocketed $200,000. All of the 165 matches were filmed and were later available for sale as DVDs. In the era of Pool Champions Willie Mosconi and Irving Crane, the standard dress code for professional pool saw players dressed in tuxedos when competing, but beginning in the 1970s, the dress code had relaxed in competition with contenders wearing sneakers, baseball caps, T-shirts, and bluejeans. Trudeau re-established a dress code for the IPT members and required all IPT members and competitors to adhere to it, to project a better image for pool. All male pool players were required to wear suits, long-sleeved shirts, and leather shoes.

In October 2006, the IPT was criticized by some of the winners for failing to disburse in a timely manner approximately $3 million in prize funds to tournament competitors. Thorsten Hohmann, a $350,000 winner from a July 2006 event said, "I'm the one who can leave with a smile, but it's just not right what Trudeau has done – all the lies." The IPT originally announced that they were only going to pay out one-third of the winnings at that time, but in November they announced that they will pay out the $3 million in monthly installments instead, which have been two payments of about $38,000 each as of December 20th. Due to this and other factors, all IPT events have been postponed by a few months, though no specific dates have been set yet.

List of books and recordings

 * How to make $10,000 per month as a Certified Memory Master.  American Memory Institute. (sound recording) 1990.
 * How to remember everything in your past Nightingale-Conant Corporation (Niles, IL) (sound recording) 1991.
 * Advanced mega memory Nightingale-Conant Corporation (Chicago, IL) (sound recording) 1992.
 * Never forget another name Nightingale-Conant Corporation (Chicago, IL) (video recording) 1992.
 * The Trudeau Marketing Group opportunity Trudeau Marketing Group. (video recording)  1995.
 * Kevin Trudeau's Mega Memory : how to release your superpower memory in 30 minutes or less a day. William Morrow & Co. (New York, NY) ISBN 9780688135829 1995.
 * Lose 30 pounds in 30 days! the weight loss secrets "they" don't want you to know about. Alliance Pub. Group, Inc. (Elk Grove Village, IL) (sound recording)  2004.
 * Natural cures "they" don't want you to know about. Alliance Pub. Group (Elk Grove Village, IL) ISBN 9780975599518  2004.
 * More natural "cures" revealed : previously censored brand name products that cure disease. Alliance Pub. Group (Elk Grove Village, IL) ISBN 9780975599549. 2006
 * The weight loss cure "they" don't want you to know about. Alliance Pub. (Elk Grove Village, IL) ISBN 9780978785154 2007.

Regulatory agency websites

 * Federal Trade Commission statement: Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials – FTC.gov, September 7 2004

News articles

 * King Con -- Selling Questionable Cures? – John Stossel, Glenn Rupel and Frank Mastropolo,January 20, 2006
 * What Kevin Trudeau doesn't want you to know about – Christopher Dreher, Salon.com, July 26 2005
 * 'Natural Cures' a success amid strong criticism – Candice Choi, Convenience Link
 * Wait, There's More – Libby Copeland, Washington Post, October 23 2005
 * Being Kevin Trudeau – Mike Panozzo, Billiards Digest, November 2005
 * Natural scams "he" doesn't want you to know about – Michael Shermer, Scientific American, March 2006
 * Is Infomercial King a Helper or Huckster? – Jake Tapper, January 13, 2006

Critical websites

 * Kevin Trudeau at the Notable Names Database
 * Skeptics Dictionary entry on Trudeau
 * Quackwatch page about Trudeau
 * About his show on Coral Calcium
 * Trudeau fined for making fraudulent claims
 * Trudeau found to have made more fraudulent claims
 * Transcript of his infomercial with analysis by Stephen Barrett, M.D. - Infomercial Watch, February 2 2005
 * Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials – ConsumerAffairs.com, September 10 2004
 * Would You Buy A Used Cure From This Man? – The Smoking Gun, August 26 2005
 * Beat Cancer the Barefoot Way – Piping Hot from DietPower, June 2003
 * Trudeau's "Cures" Viewed Through the Eyes of a Healthcare Professional

Mega Memory

 * Mega Memory – Does It Work? – Kevin Jay North, The Memory Page

Related

 * FAQ on Bovine Growth Hormone in Milk Products – Dairy Institute of California (Christine Bruhn, Center for Consumer Research; John Bruhn, Department of Food Science & Technology University of California, Davis)
 * Merck Manual Discussion of mitral valve prolapse – Sec. 16, Ch. 207, Vascular Heart Disease
 * National Institutes of Health Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 * Information regarding link between Eleotin/Diabeticine/Diamaxol and the University of Calgary