Natural scams "he" doesn't want you to know about BY MICHAEL SHERMER

Up to 139 times in one week, Kevin Trudeau pitches latenight viewers about his self-published book, Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About, a rambling farrago of uninformed opinions, conspiracy theories and cheeky jabs at medical, pharmaceutical and governmental authorities ("they"). The book is so risibility ridiculous that even the most desperately ill would not take it seriously-would they?

Apparently they would, to the tune of millions of copies sold, elevating the book to the New York Times best-seller list. If readers had purchased Trudeau's Mega Memory, perhaps they would have remembered that he spent almost two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to credit-card fraud and that the Federal Trade Commission banned Trudeau "from appearing in, producing, or disseminating future infomercials that advertise any type of product, service, or program to the public, except for truthful infomercials for informational publications. In addition, Trudeau cannot make disease or health benefits claims for any type of product, service, or program in any advertising, including print, radio, Internet, television, and direct mail solicitations, regardless of the format and duration." Trudeau had to pay $500,000 in consumer redress for his bogus infomercials and another $2 million to settle charges against him for claiming that coral calcium cures cancer (it doesn't) and that an analgesic product called Biotape permanently relieves pain (it doesn't).

Amazingly, Natural Cures is exempt from this injunction. "Books are fully protected speech. He can author a book and voice his opinions," says Heather Hippsley, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the FTC who investigated Trudeau's infomercials. "The line is: Informational materials, OK. Products and services, banned."

So Trudeau is free to dole out in print such opinions as these: "Medical science has absolutely, 100 percent, failed in the curing and prevention of illness, sickness, and disease." (Smallpox is not a disease?) "Get all metal out of your dental work." (Won't this help the medical cartel?) "Sun block has been shown to cause cancer." (References?) "Don't drink tap water." (Wrong: studies show it is as safe as bottled water.) "Animals in the wild virtually never get sick." (No need to worry about avian influenza.) "Get 15 colonics in 30 days." (Can I bring a friend?) "Wear white.... The closer you get to white, the more positive energy you bring into your energetic field." (Why is Trudeau wearing all black on the book cover?) "Stop taking nonprescription and prescription drugs." (Including insulin for diabetes?) "This includes vaccines." (Welcome back, polio.) "Have sex." (Without prescription Viagra?)

This 600 -page medical advice book contains no index, no bibliography and no references. In their stead are testimonials for the audio edition and a sequel in the works about "weight loss secrets they don't want you to know about."

As for the "natural cures" themselves, some are not cures at all but just obvious healthy lifestyle suggestions: eat less, exercise more, reduce stress. Some of the natural cures are flat-out wrong, such as oral chelation for heart disease, whereas others are laughably ludicrous, such as a magnetic mattress pad and crocodile protein peptide for fibromyalgia. Worst of all are the natural cures that the book directs the reader to Trudeau's Web page to find. When you go there, however, and click on a disease to get the cure, you first have to become a Web site member at $499 lifetime or $9.95 a month. It is a classic con man's combo: bait and switch (the book directs them to the Web page) and double-dipping (sell them the book, then sell them the membership).

Why don't "they" want you to know about these natural cures? "Money and power," Trudeau says. "Most people have no idea just how powerful a motivating force money and power can be." Kevin Trudeau certainly does, and this book is a testimony to that fact.

There is one lesson that I gleaned from this otherwise feckless author, well expressed in an old Japanese proverb: "Baka ni tsukeru kusuri wa nai"-"There is no medicine that cures stupidity." Domo arigato, Mr.Trudeau.

Michael Shermer is publisher of Skeptic (www.skeptic.com) and author of Why People Believe Weird Things.

Kevin Trudeau is a real piece of work again

Kevin Trudeau author of "Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About", "More Natural Cures Revealed" and "The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You To Know About" now has a new book called "Debt Cures" for $29.95. If this book is like his others it will be full of teasers that will direct you to his website where you will have to pay to get the info which is nothing more than info published free in this newsletter and thousands of websites along with a lot of bad info.

"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. Some of Trudeau's customers have also complained of unexpected charges for his newsletter and discount purchase programs. (10/28/05)

Trudeau's troubles with the FTC continue. The FTC charges that Trudeau "deceptively claimed" in infomercials that the weight-loss plan outlined in his latest book is "easy to do, can be done at home, and ultimately allows readers to eat whatever they want." The diet actually "requires severe dieting," daily injections of a prescription drug not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, and "lifelong dietary restrictions."

FTC- Marketer Kevin Trudeau Violated Prior Court Order: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/09/trudeau.shtm

Kevin Trudeau. 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: http://www.skepdic.com/trudeau.html