#392: Kevin Trudeau

Kevin Trudeau is an author, convicted felon – in fact, a repeatedly convicted felon – and hardcore woo-meister and conspiracy theorist In fact, he is recognized as the very nexus of stuff someone (government, media, the sane folk, science etc.) doesn’t want you to know. According to his numerous TV informercials , Trudeau’s got exactly what you need. If you just pay him, he’ll even tell you (well, gesture toward) what it is. He has even written a book named “Natural Cures ‘They’ Don't Want You to Know About”, which tells you basically how to send him money to obtain the information they don’t want you to have about how to cure every conceivable ailment you may suffer from.

The stuff that got him into trouble with the FTC was his promotion “Mega Memory”, (Canadian Robert Barefoot’s) Coral Calcium, and Hair Farming (you probably don’t want to know). What he got out of it was, of course, a tangible target for his conspiracy theories, namely … well, the FTC, of course, but they must surely be working for someone. Trudeau has also been involved in (among other things) Scientology, Amway, and Neo-Tech – all the tricks of a truly questionable trade, in other words, going all the way up to spamming. He is, in sum, rather hardcore at marketing the complete lack of content (even marketing his marketing). An interesting comparison can be found here.

Among his recommendations (a fuller list here) is

- Never to take a prescription drug of any kind.

- Avoid sunscreen when in the sun, since it causes cancer (the sun, on the other hand, is the source of all health)

- That acid reflux disease is a myth, but still treatable by drinking vinegar.

- Dianetics

- Raw milk

- Daily injection of HCG (for weight loss)

- That pork and shellfish are poison.

- Never use the microwave; in fact, ready-made foot is unhealthy because it isn’t imbued with the love-energy imbued by home cooking.

- Sungazing (staring directly at the sun) as a cure for a range of diseases

- Colonics; every other day.

He also claims (in “More Natural Cures Revealed” (review here) that animals in the wild never get sick, and that bacteria and viruses don’t cause disease – diseases are caused by imbalances of vital energy – and that medical sciences have completely failed to prevent or cure disease.

It is also worth mentioning that The New York state Consumer Protection Board warns those who follow Kevin Trudeau's advice to call a toll-free number for information that Trudeau is selling their name and contact information to telemarketers and junk mailers.

More here, and (updated) here.

Diagnosis: One of the most influential, uh, shall we say "promoters of health claims the correctness of which may be questioned" in the US and as such quite dangerous. He may actually be an extremely ignorant crackpot, but it is hard to judge that as particularly more probable than him being an exceptionally cynical fraud.