Does Kevin Trudeau's "Weight Loss Cure" Burn Fat or Money?

Do an internet search on "Kevin Trudeau Weight Loss Cure" and you're liable to end up more confused than when you started. There's enough propaganda out there to whip an large army into a frenzy, and enough skepticism to start a revolution. But before you get up in arms yourself, take a minute to review the following information, and make your own decision.

Here are the facts:

Visit one of Kevin Trudeau's many websites, and you'll read customer testimonials like the following:

"When I used the weight loss cure protocol the pounds just flew off! I lost 51 pounds and have kept if off for over two years without any effort." -C.L., North Carolina

"When I started using the weight loss cure protocol I noticed my food cravings going away. I used to have certain comfort foods; chocolate, ice cream, Starbucks coffee with extra caramel. I was obsessed by these foods and loved them. I have always been a yo-yo dieter, an emotional eater, and a binge eater. These techniques are a Godsend." -F.K., California

"I am a past success story of the weight loss cure protocol. I lost over 75 pounds about 12 years ago." -S.M., Washington

Visit ConsumerAffairs.com, and you get a different story:

I was given the book "What They Don't Want You To Know" by Kevin Trudeau. All of the health remedies seemed to be only available on his website. I ordered the weight loss CD and subscribed to the website for $9.95/mo. The CD was sent in a tiny mailer and cost $9.95 for shipping, which I didn't appreciate. I asked two questions on the website and they said it would take up to 8 weeks for a response because they were just getting things set up. No one ever responded, so fed up I tried to cancel. But that was impossible. I sent them the cancellation notice on August 3rd 2006 and yet they continue to bill my American Express card each month for $9.95. -Darlene, CA

Mr. Trudeau is very persuasive on TV that his book will set you on a path to some arcane lost info that he recently found. The clinic that does the work in Europe is valued and effective in its work. Mr. Trudeau FAILS to let you know in the TV infomercial that you cannot get this protocol in the USA. Of course you don't know this until you read his 3rd Chapter. -Marie, CA

I ordered the natural cures book and never got them and I'm being charged $5.95 a month for a newsletter i cannot cancel. So far the total amount of money stolen from me is $49.95. - Robert, IN

I bought the book,The Weight Loss Cure by Kevin Trudeau. On page 93 he instructs us to take an injection of 125-200 units of hcg (human chorionic gonadotrophin). I went on line and look it up since I had never heard of it. Well----it is used in fertility treatment. The side effects can be very serious. I do not intend to follow the diet because nothing that I have read so far has the slightest bit of common sense. The man is a maniac. -Margie, CA

Just as you're starting to get the picture of how close you came to being scammed, you find out, lo and behold, that Kevin Trudeau also has a criminal record. In the 1990's, he defrauded several credit card companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Due to some streak of marketing genius, and an undeniable charisma, Trudeau bounced back to make millions with his infomercials for Nutrition For Life, Internationalproducts, only to be charged with misrepresentation, and ordered to pay reparations to stockholders, as well as cease making false claims in his marketing materials. He violated the judgement, launching several direct mail campaigns and perpetrating another scam on home shoppers, resulting Trudeau being banned from advertising via infomercials.

Why, then, can you find this man touting his "Weight Loss Cure" on late-night tv? The Federal Trade Commission's ban holds no sway over the marketing of books, which are protected under the right to free speech. This Kevin Trudeau is a tricky character, you're starting to think. But until you watch the video below, you don't know the half.

Kevin Trudeau's "Weight Loss Cure" has upwards of half a dozen different websites devoted to its promotion. On one of these, in tiny print at the very bottom of the page, I found the following disclaimer:

Note that this book does not contain any specific cures for any specific diseases. It is also not a substitute for any medication you may be taking or medical advice given to you by your doctor. Information contained in Kevin Trudeau's book is general in nature and speaks more in terms of the regulation present in the health industry and living an overall healthy lifestyle. Therefore, please be aware that you may or may not find the information in the book helpful for your specific situation. This book is to be accepted and used for informational purposes only. By purchasing the book, you are acknowledging that you are aware and acknowledge these facts.

I'd say that about sums it up.