Kevin Trudeau, well known for all sorts of cons over the years—his most recent one was this diet book—was found in contempt of court last week by a U.S. District Court judge for violating his permanent 2004 injunction.
The Court found that Trudeau violated the permanent injunction when he misrepresented the contents of his book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About,” in several infomercials. The permanent injunction banned Trudeau from using infomercials to sell any product, service, or program. The ban contained a narrow exemption for infomercials for books and other publications, but specifically required that Trudeau not misrepresent the content of the books.
He did indeed misrepresent his book—his “easy to follow” diet required injections, colonics, bizarre and ever-changing menus, and a lifetime commitment to maintain the target weight—assuming you ever reach it.
His 2004 permanent injunction was caused by a calcium product he was peddling that he said could cure cancer, and an analgesic that he said could permanently cure pain.
The Court hasn’t yet determined “the appropriate contempt remedy,” so we’ll wait anxiously to find out his new fate, although we figure if he ends up in prison it will look something like this:
“Federal Court Finds Kevin Trudeau in Civil Contempt” [Federal Trade Commission]
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@RvLeshrac: “After reading through that site… wow.”
I agree. One of their requirements is that you have “Internet 6.”
@Serenefengshui: My hairy left testicle he is!
@somuch2: Just in case you’re not joking—that photo is a screencap from the TV show “Arrested Development,” from when George Bluth Sr., who is in fact not Jewish, claims that he has converted and begins selling a self-help video from jail.
From Wikipedia:
@Serenefengshui:
“Interesting ideas” what? You mean his paranoid delusions, or his delusions of grandeur?
@RvLeshrac:
I don’t have a landline for anything other than this since I’m cellphone only. I couldn’t care less what their security is to be honest…it’s not my sensitive info that is being dealt with. And while some do, I don’t work it full-time. But after a few months of being consistently decent on my calls (conversion, talk time, etc.) I make about $10-15 an hour for very easy work in my home, part-time when I want to and only when I want to. For extra cash — it’s perfect. No commute, I can work in my pj’s before or after work or on weekends, and the pay is getting very good for me for all that.
@DSaddict: Interesting. Apparently one of my nutrition professors’ in-laws told her (a PhD and dietitian) that she was “part of the conspiracy to keep people fat” because she disagreed with the Atkins diet.
It seems that sometimes people take nutritional beliefs to heart like religious beliefs, and will defend them with the most wildly irrational fervour. I still can’t quite understand why it has to get so emotional.
@peggynature:
I think you answered your own question!
My local library has copies of many of this fraud’s books. Would it be unethical to check them out and them write a link to his Wiki site inside, or possibly “annotate” them?