Believe it or not, he's got the cure
BY GARY STRAUSS and BY LIZ SZABO
Kevin Trudeau has no medical training. He's a convicted felon. And he has been banned from hawking products and services on TV that federal regulators say have no merit.
But the former used-car salesman's book — "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" — has vaulted to the top of most best-seller lists.
Released in late June, "Natural Cures" was No. 2 on USA Today's list last week, trailing only the latest Harry Potter book. It's also among top sellers ranked by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Amazon.com.
"Natural Cures," which Trudeau pushes on TV infomercials, purports to offer natural remedies for many diseases and provides advice on avoiding illnesses. It lambastes regulators, drugmakers and marketers for what Trudeau calls harmful foods and medications. And it directs readers to Trudeau's naturalcures.com Web site, where the hopeful can pay $9.95 monthly (or $499 lifetime) for access to services.
Sold by major retailers for $29.95, "Cures" could be the top self-published book ever, says Jim Milliot, a Publishers Weekly editor. "It sold 1.5 million copies in July. He's tapped into something. People are looking for alternative advice."
Trudeau, 42, fancies himself a Ralph Nader-style consumer advocate fighting big business and government. "I'm talking about things that no one wants to admit," he says.
Publishers rejected "Cures" before its release through his own company, Alliance Publishing. "They told me, 'Nobody will buy it. You're a nut. You'll have to tone it down,' " Trudeau says.
Much of the book's success hinges on Trudeau's talk-show-style infomercials, some of which feature former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner.
"Natural Cures" was among TV's most heavily promoted infomercial products in July, averaging 140 weekly airings on national cable channels alone, says Sam Cantanese, CEO of infomercial tracker imstv.com.
Trudeau honed his pitchman skills promoting a series of infomercial products over two decades such as Dr. Callahan's Addiction Breaking System, Eden's Secret Nature's Purifying Product, the Sable Hair Farming System, the Mega Memory System, Biotape and Coral Calcium Supreme, a vitamin supplement.
Coral Calcium — made from Japanese sea coral — drew a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit in 2003 that accused Trudeau and associates of making unsubstantiated claims as a cure for cancer, heart disease and other maladies.
Trudeau, who has tangled with the FTC over product claims since 1998, settled in 2004 and agreed to no longer appear in or produce ads shilling goods or services. But the FTC settlement allows him to hawk books. "He has a constitutional right to free speech," the FTC's Laura Sullivan says.
Trudeau doesn't shy away from controversy. He's suing the FTC over a press release detailing terms of the 2004 settlement. And he's frank about a two-year prison term for a conviction in 1991 on credit-card fraud. A federal indictment accused him of stealing more than $128,600, using credit cards from those who had bought his products. "I made a mistake in my 20s," he says. "So what?"
Trudeau's past and run-ins with regulators tarnish the infomercial industry, says Electronic Retailing Association CEO Barbara Tulipane.
"He's charming and personable," Tulipane says. "It's easy to get sucked into what he's saying."
Medical experts question much of the advice in "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About," the best-selling book by Kevin Trudeau.
WHAT 'THEY' WANT YOU TO KNOW: IT'S BALONEY
USA Today
But David Johnson, vice president of the American College of Gastroenterology, notes there is no evidence to support many of the book's claims. He says some suggestions could be harmful..
Trudeau dismisses criticism, saying: "I'm talking about things that no one wants to admit."
Disputed suggestions in the book include:
That's wrong, says Darrell Rigel, past president of the American Academy of Dermatology and a dermatology professor at New York University. The evidence that ultraviolet radiation from the sun increases the risk of skin cancer is overwhelming, he says. Though Rigel agrees with Trudeau's advice to wear a hat and cover up, Rigel also advises wearing sunscreen.
These are very caustic and could burn the esophagus, Johnson says. They're typically prescribed only for patients with pancreatic problems.
There is no medical reason for these procedures, which typically involve purging the bowels with enemas, Johnson says. They could lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances, he says.
Not true, according to the National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, says there is no evidence that the product treats cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, heart disease or high blood pressure. The National Cancer Institute notes that "marketers have made false claims" about these supplements.
Colloidal silver products are made of silver particles suspended in liquid, according to a consumer advisory issued by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It warns that the Food and Drug Administration doesn't consider these supplements safe or effective. The advisory says colloidal silver can cause serious side effects.
Trudeau tells readers to beware of psychiatry, psychology, microwave ovens and tumble dryers. He extols the health benefits of wearing white, of magnetic mattress pads and of products that "neutralize electromagnetic chaos" from satellites, cell phones and remote controls.
Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist from Allentown, Pa., who operates Quackwatch.org, has one word to describe that advice: "Rubbish."
