SubscribeThe Weight Loss Cure: Sued by the FTC
It's rare to see an author targeted by the Federal Trade Commission. Unless his name happens to be Kevin Trudeau.
Trudeau's book "The Weight Loss Cure" has been misrepresented in a number of infomercials.
Trudeau claims that 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.
In reality, the Weight Loss Cure is complex and very difficult to follow.
Don't buy anything from this man.
The weight loss cure (called "the protocol") requires HGH injections, colon cleansing, a complex dietary regime, and a rigid exercise prescription.
Besides the injections, this phase also 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.
Trudeau's infomercial claims "And when you’re done with the protocol, eat whatever you want and you don’t gain the weight back." Trouble is, the protocol is actually lifelong - it never ends.
Trudeau has been a longtime fraud - appearing regularly in FTC news feeds from 1998 onwards. He has been caught fraudulently advertising everything from hair growth products, coral calcium supreme, pain relief products, and weight loss products. Like unwanted body hair, he just keeps on coming back.
The guy knows how to sell. At the time of writing, the Weight Loss Cure had a #21 Amazon sales rank (yes that's number 21 out of millions of books).
Avoid at all cost.
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
Replygreat seeing THIS guy get it- he lost his credibility with me when he said that when you lose weight it's only structural fat that you need to keep- and this is after he gives weight loss tips- so it's like ' by the way, what i said before just makes you unhealthy'
ReplyThis guy is a snake. I saw one of his infomercials and was so excited - It was really going to happen - I could really lose the weight. I went out to buy the book, but thankfully ChinaMart didn't have it. I came home and did some research online and found out what most of 'the protocol' was about, and was so grateful I'd not spent my $$ on his deceptive book. But mostly I was so sad I had been deceived and had my hopes raised only to be disappointed.
ReplyGood for whomever it is that is suing him. Rich lying creep.
Nan
I bought the book, went on the diet...which WAS very easy to do..the HCG in my system kept me energized even on 500 calories. You can use mineral oil in place of lotion...I have been telling my husband...and he agrees...it is a miracle! I lost 20 pound in 6 weeks...and I even cheated while on vacation...pizza, beer and my favorite cookies...I gained 4 pounds and lost it within 2 days of getting back on the diet.I lost fat on my back that I have been fighting to get rid of for years! I am Sooooo happy...I think this diet is for people who are really serious about losing. I would have paid $1000's for this. Maybe you should try it...by the way I didn't work out at all.I was told about this diet from a friend who had lost 37 pounds in 6 weeks and she did the diet again..and lost another 20. IT WORKS!!! You just need to want it to work and be willing to do it.
ReplyWow. Just, wow.
ReplyIt's amazing what people will get suckered into, really.
ReplyI have the cure FOR weight loss...A ham sandwich.
ReplyI talked on the phone with a personal trainer (I'm looking to find a female one in my area who can deal with morbidly obese patients wanting to improve fitness) and she mentioned that she encourages her clients to follow THIS PLAN.
I'd heard the name Kevin Trudeau and heard it in conjunction with 'STAY AWAY FROM THIS DIET" type articles, so I knew that was not gonna be the trainer for me. Bye-bye.
The Princess
ReplyI was hoping you'd write about this one, Jim.
Yeah, this guy irks me too. Hey Kevin, there's a reason why "they" don't want us to know about your diet. I remember reading through his weight loss section of his "cures" book and just shaking my head.
Mad TV did a hilarious parody of him - I'll see if I can find it on youtube, but here's the transcript of the skit (clipped from skeptico website). The Kevin Trudeau Character is Robin Kirkley.
Robin Kirkley: I want everyone out there to know I’m not in this for the money. I just want everyone to have the information in this book… for $39.95.
Interviewer: (holds finger to ear) Wait, my producers are telling me something. Is this true? You’re giving away a DVD for free.
Robin Kirkley: Yes, I absolutely am. I am giving away this DVD for free and in it you find out how to use simple herbs to cure every disease known to mankind absolutely free… for $39.95.
Interviewer: You say that these simple herbs can cure every disease known to mankind.
Robin Kirkley: Yes, they absolutely can. They can cure heart disease, they can cure emphysema, cure lupus, leprosy,
Interviewer: That’s a big one.
Robin Kirkley: It’s very big these days, yes. They can cure… micro-testicles, phantom leg syndrome, unfunnyness – go on, name some more.
Interviewer: I’ve got one! Liver disease.
Robin Kirkley: Cured!
Interviewer: Oh no! You tricked me. You knew your herbs can cure all diseases known to man and I fell for it.
Robin Kirkley: Yes, I’m sorry but I had to trick you. You see it’s important for you to know that I only lie when I’m trying to show how honest I am.
Interviewer: I wouldn’t be doing my job as an infomercial journalist if I didn’t ask you a couple of tough questions.
Robin Kirkley: Go ahead.
Interviewer: OK then. If these miracle cures have been around for centuries, how come I’m only just hearing about them now?
Robin Kirkley: (Pauses – looks surprised) Wow! I didn’t see that one coming. Think about it: if all these diseases were cured it would bring the pharmaceutical industry to its knees. That’s why the Federal government has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars prosecuting me for things like fraud, false advertising and baby trafficking.
The sketch continues with an interview with a “doctor” shown only in shadow, who relates how he was using the miracle herbs to cure all his patients of all their diseases and save their lives, when a man from the government came and threatened his family with a live hand grenade unless he stopped curing his patients with the herbs and went back to using pharmaceuticals.
ReplyShooting up to lose weight? Sounds like the Keith Richards diet.
ReplyKevin also has a memory book out (which I read), but now I can't remember the name of it or how long ago I read it. (hee)
I guess he figured there would be more money in a weight loss book than one of his last ones that claimed to have the cure for cancer.
What a worm.
ReplyHis first book was entertaining enough to spend $29...got my fun from it. That next one was a waste of paper from what I glanced of it. He's a great salesman...not a health expert.
Then again...what books out now aren't about hyping a fad based on nothing just to get money...can you say every single "detox" diet??
Nothing new about all this.....probably is better to have more people like Kevin, so the general public can at some point "wake up" and discover that there is no magic cure and they already know what works...they just don't do it!!
ReplyWow Heather, just wow!
ReplyHGH injections? Does that stand for human growth hormone? Because if it does, that's truly frightening. And 500 calories a day is starvation.
ReplyHoly crap, HGH injections?? 500 calories a day?? Yikes. No kidding...stay away from this diet at all costs. I feel really bad for those people that bought this book and probably read through it and were like "Yeah right" and never even tried it. I wonder how many people actually went through with the "protocol". It sounds horrific.
Replyits not hgh, its an extract from the urine of pregnant women that supposedly normalizes the shape of your body- after all, the nutrition that skinny pregnant women eat goes to the baby first for its needs thats the principle behind it.
ReplyThe only flaw in that plan is that the people taking that are not pregnant.
Besides, anyone would lose weight on 500 calories a day, injections or not. They'd lose weight, muscle from all over the body including the heart, hair, everything.
ReplyThis guy who wrote this blog was not correct, it is HCG shots, not HGH-he may be an idiot as well!!
ReplyHe is just a salesman. Don't believe all what a salesman says but do your own research first. The methods may well work but to your detriment.Thanks for highlighting to us.
ReplyThis guys stuff is truly a fine piece of work, from a marketing perspective. But truly a piece or garbage as far as long term fitness success. Even convincing some of my own family has been an issue.
ReplyIT IS A CURE and IT DOES WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DON'T LISTEN TO THESE FALSE ACCUSATIONS -- ANYONE WHO HAS OTHER FAD DIETS DOESN'T LIKE THIS ONE BECAUSE IT ISN'T A FAD AND YOUR STORED FAT DOES COME OFF QUICKLY AND EVENLY -- YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND INCHES!
I HAVE LOST 28 LBS IN 40 DAYS I AM KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF -- AND IT IS EASY. I HAVE BEEN ON SOOOOO MANY DIETS -- THE STUPID STARS, THE MIAMI, ETC, AND DIDN'T LOSE 1 LB BUT GAINED!
THROUGH MENOPAUSE I GAINED OVER 50 LBS -- AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO LOSE IT. MY BACK HURT, MY JOINTS HURT, I HATED IT! THIS WAS MY LAST TRY. SURE I WAS SCPETICAL. WE READ UP ABOUT IT AND MADE A DECISION TO TRY IT, ONE PERSON AT A TIME. AFTER, ONLY 2-3 DAYS INTO THE PLAN I WAS SHEADING THE WEIGHT 1 LB A DAY JUST AS KEVIN SAID. I AM EATING LESS BECAUSE IT DOES WHAT KEVIN SAID IT WOULD DO!
IT RESETS YOUR BAD BODY AND BRAIN HABITS.
THE WEIGHT LOSS CURE, DID IT FOR US, MY BROTHER AND MY SISTER-IN-LAW -- WE HAVE ALL TOGETHER LOST 95 LBS, AND COUNTING. WE FEEL GREAT!!!
IT WORKS PEOPLE...KEVIN IS TELLING THE TRUTH!!!
LOSE THE WEIGHT, YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE, YOU WILL GET A NEW LEASE ON LIFE...IF WE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO!!!
JOAN ;-)
Replyin his book natural cures they dont want you to know he gives weight loss tips, then in the weight loss cure book he says that any other method than this book is unhealthy because it only results in the loss of structural fat- hello ? - that would include the methods of the former book that he himself gave. he himself was the only person to ruin his credibility with me- nobody else had to tell me he was lying- not when he gives information opposed to himself!!
ReplyWhere can I purchase HGH injections? Does the book say how much injections for each shot and where to buy them?
Thanks.
ReplyJen
Did you do the HGH shots too? I think it made the letters in your post grow.
Replyit is NOT hch it is hcg and it does work!
ReplyIf you have a spare 9 min. Take a look at this!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YN5ihrECJms
Replygood job mike john stossel does it again.
kevin trudeau - thats a myth
kevin trudeau - thats a lie
kevin trudeau - thats just downright stupid.
ReplyAnyone who spends 30 bucks on a book that tells you that walking around barefoot and staring at the sun eliminates the need for food, deserves to lose the money.
Seriously. Read this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/22/AR2005102201272.html
I suspect that Joan works for this nincompoop and spends her days Googling his name so she can SHOUT IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS and earn her $9/hour. She's probably the same rube who defends this assclown on Wikipedia.
Proof positive that a fool and his money soon part...lucky it's only 30 bucks and not a retirement fund.
ReplySoon to come - Kevin Trudeau's Cure for the Catharats You Developed while on The Weight Loss Cure. For $39.95, he'll throw in the footworm medication for free.
ReplyFor anyone who wants to lose weight in healthy and effective way www.wellness-diet4me.co.uk
ReplyI don't believe that Kevin is lying, don't beleve them and what they say , like Kevin said the FTC only want to make money,so now they are trying to sue him and portray him as a snakeoil salesman. f*** this whole thing . it's all stupid bull.
Replyread what kevin trudeau himself says-in one book he gives weight loss tips, in the next book, he says all those only cause you to lose fat you need, making you unhealthy. duh!!! he contradicts his own advice!! either he did in fact give bad advice, or he just plain lies about it in the second book.- nobody had to point this out to me- it was obvious from seeing his own words in his books.
ReplyActually, it's not HGH shots that the infamous Mr. Trudeau's new program requires... it's HCG shots. HCG, or "human chorionic gonadotropin", is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It has been studied extensively for its possible role as a weight loss aid, and it's a complete and total dud. Not suprising, considering Mr. Trudeau's dismal track record.
Anyone wanting to learn more about HCG and its "role" in weight loss can do so here...
http://www.ultimatefatburner.com/hcg-review.html
ReplyKevin's book is based on research by Dr. Simeons, who published his findings in a small book called "Pounds and Inches". It can be downloaded in MS Word format, from this site:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters/
You don't need to buy Kevin's book. You can understand the protocol and successfully use HCG at home, inexpensively, by reading Dr. Simeons' findings for free and by purchasing the HCG and supplies online. On the above site, you can also read posts from people who are actually using the protocol, not just deciding based on what they hear from people who have not used it and do not thoroughly understand the science behind it. Instead of judging the whole thing based on isolated elements of the plan in a vacuum, read the information at the source along with the testimony of actual users.
BTW, the colonics are part of "Phase 1" which is not part of Simeon's plan. As you'll see on the aforementioned site, many HCG dieters skip Phase 1 and move right to Phase 2, which is the essence of Dr. Simeons' protocol.
Hope this helps!
-e
ReplyIt is amazing how many experts are on this blog, I will never have to research anything again ;-)
Wake up people, don't be afraid of the unknown and do some proper research yourselves. How can you rely on information that someone heard third hand.
If you are to cheap to buy a book, go down to Barnes and Noble, buy yourself a Latte', go read his book in a comfortable chair, then you make your own decisions.
"Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference"
"Robert Frost"
ReplyNot a criticism, just a "correct" quotation of a wonderful poem! It's an Internet thing :-)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
ReplySomewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
"Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference"
This is the piece that has the most impact. I don't endorse K.T. in any way. However his writings directed me to the path less traveled. Actually never ever bought a book, the first was a gift, the second one I "Latte'-ed" in B&N and then realized after two chapters it was the same dribble.
The Weight-loss book as far as I can tell from the reviews only has about 10 pages of interesting information. However don't discount his information there is a lot to be learned.
Health and fitness are not "Magic" pills. It takes a lot of time and effort to re-program yourself. K.Ts books are a reference and should be treated as such.
My road less traveled has made all the difference and am feeling better every day for it.
As far as the FDA and FTC go. Be wary of these "Snake-oil" salesmen. Whenever you see a Magic Pill on television endorsed by these Departments, the first thing you should do is research to see if a natural cure or food source that will do the same thing.
Be healthy
Replygreat seeing THIS guy get it- he lost his credibility with me when he said that when you lose weight it's only structural fat that you need to keep- and this is after he gives weight loss tips in his 'natural cures they dont want you to know' book- so it's like ' by the way, what i said before just makes you unhealthy'
ReplyI doubt anyone is going to read this after reading all the b.s. opinions on here about Kevin Truduea. Regardless of his past, the facts that he has printed in the book are true and correct. I've completed two sessions of the protocol and I'm currently on the maintenance phase of eight weeks. I've lost sixty pounds since November 1, 2007. During this maintenance phase I have not gained any weight and I do eat everything and I mean everything I want. I've been overweight since childhood and I've been on every so called fda approved diets without any success.
1) To the moron that said anyone would lose weight on 500 calories, ummmm no you won't because after the third day you will feel faint. Been there and done that I lost 1 pound and gained six immediately after eating on 500 calories.
2) It's possible and proven that you will lose the weight because the hcg does all the work. You do not feel faint at all and it's actually hard to get down the 500 calories while taking the hcg.
3) Yes, I started taking the shots but grew tired of the sworeness but I found a way to take it (hcg)orally with liquid b-12.
4)It is totally incorrect where it states on here you must do vigorous exercise. Actually that not encouraged at all on this diet, because you will gain weight from exercising to hard via the water retention in your muscles.
5)Lastly Kevin Truduea is trying to make a buck like everyone else in America. No he DID NOT discover this diet, this diet has been around since the 1950's! Instead of believing alot of these sore losers who probably have not read the book do your own research like I did.
The actual doctor's manuscript for this diet is called Pounds and Inches by Dr. A.T.E.W Simeons. You can find it for free at www.hcgdietinfo.com
Good luck for those who have sense enough to do their own research and no fall for the okey-do that our government and the diet industry wants us all to fail and fall for. To keep them paid.
IT DOES WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyFYI: hCG absolutely works! I am not a KT fan, at all. And I discovered hCG through a differnt source. I did not do anything additional that KT recommended, instead I have been relying on a medical professional. I have lost 20 lbs. I lived on hGC and 500 calories a day for a month. Believe it or not after the first week I felt terrific. I did not workout AT ALL. I am sharing this b/c the KT thing is just him trying to capitalize on someone else's discovery, which is dumb. You don't need to follow his book at all to have success on this program. If you are truly looking to lose weight instead of continuing to make excuses why you can't, then please consider hGC. It has changed my life!
ReplyGreat comment!! I too have done the diet...I am sooooo happy with my weight loss!!! I was wondering where you got the oral HCG? I also got sore. I plan on doing the diet again in 6 weeks. It really is a miracle!! I feel sorry for this guy's who are disshing it when the obviously haven't tried it....
Replyhow do i get in toch with you in the uk, to get your products
ReplyThere are many outrageous claims in kevins book, but there are also some very helpful ones. Hopefully if you can read a book you are smart enough to see thru to the truth. You can find out more about many of the weight loss claims on the supplements here http://www.dietsupplementreviews.com
ReplySame story, bought the book, was charged for the newsletter even after I canceled it. Had to cancel it 3 times for them to stop chargin me, and return my money. I never buy anything from TV, but I actually believed him. Well, I was swindled
Here is the madtv parody everyone was looking for
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=UT5tIfJPFS0
Reply