Does anyone actually entertain these thoughts?!?!?!

Tank_Guy#3

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Like the title says, do any of you entertain these thoughts? I find it insulting that this Trudeau is trying to push this crap on us. Look at the "Dangerous Cures" section for instance. This guys pulls a train load of crap behind him that could fertilize the Great Plains.

But I do have a friend who does believe in herbal remedies and he does think that drugs are poison. He is also an extreme case of the religious right and despises the president. I do understand why he is so religious, he has had several near death experiences. But I have one question for him, if drugs are poison, why don't you stop taking your heart attack medicine? (He is an elderly man mid 60's) If you can get past all of this, he is a really nice guy, a smart a$$ at times though.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=1503856

ABC News

Jan. 13, 2006 — Kevin Trudeau is handsome, charming and a financial success.

A few weeks ago in Chicago, at the multimillion-dollar pool tournament he has personally founded and financed, Trudeau bounded through his legions of fans and supporters like Sinatra at the Sands.


Is Infomercial King a Helper or Huckster?

With a best-selling book, "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About," as well as the No. 1 ranked infomercial to promote the book, Trudeau says he has a following of millions.

Without question, he has a familiar face. If you've watched late night TV, you know Trudeau. "Since 1989, I've been on TV, talking about the products that I've authored — like Mega Memory, Mega Speed Reading and Mega Math," Trudeau says. In infomercial after infomercial, he's pitched products that he promised will improve — if not save — your life.

But at least some of those claims went a little too far for the U.S. government. In 2004, Trudeau became the only person ever banned from selling a product on television. The Federal Trade Commission said that Trudeau falsely claimed that a coral calcium product could cure cancer and other serious diseases and that a product called Biotape could cure or relieve severe pain.

"This ban is meant to shut down an infomercial empire that has misled American consumers for years," said Lydia Parnes from the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Other habitual false advertisers should take a lesson: mend your ways or face serious consequences." Read the FTC release at www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/09/trudeaucoral.htm.


Still Selling

Trudeau is permitted to sell his book since, under the First Amendment, it does not qualify as a "product." As part of his agreement with the FTC, he paid $2 million in "consumer redress."

But here's how Trudeau presents his interaction with the FTC:

"There's been no finding of any wrongdoing," he says. "They filed charges against me, for alleged misconduct, and they had to drop all the charges."

It was pointed out to him that a settlement is different from dropping the charges.

"How is it different?" he asked.

Dropping charges involves an acknowledgment that the government could not make its case, it was said. His 2004 settlement with the FTC "bans him 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."

Plus he had to fork over $2 million.

"No," Trudeau says. "There was not one penny in fines." ABC News hadn't called it a fine, however. It was $2 million in "consumer redress," which Trudeau satisfied by giving the government more than $500,000 in cash, as well as his house in Ojai, Calif., and a Mercedes-Benz.

He's a fast-talking fellow, Mr. Trudeau.

"The government situation is a joke," he says when pressed, "and everybody knows it's a joke. The government is trying to discredit me because of the book, because I'm exposing them."


Dangerous Cures?

Instead of products such as Coral Calcium, Trudeau now hits the airwaves to sell his book, which promises magical natural cures. But not all of them are in the book. "Natural Cures" often refers readers to his Web site, which requires lifetime membership at a price of approximately $500.

But in the book or on the Web site, many doctors have expressed serious concerns about Trudeau's cures, saying his advice is not only misleading, it could actually hurt people.

"Stop taking nonprescription and prescription drugs," the book instructs. "Remember, drugs are poisons. This includes vaccines."

Trudeau says drugs are only OK in exceptional circumstances — such as trauma or in surgery. His book makes other outrageous claims.

Trudeau writes in his book — which has sold more than 5 million copies and will be listed as No. 1 on this Sunday's New York Times best-seller list for hardcover "advice" books — that "the sun does not cause cancer. Sun block has been shown to cause cancer. The ingredients in sun block are now strongly believed to be the number one cause of skin cancer." He says "antiperspirants and deodorants contain deadly poisons," and that AIDS is "one of the greatest hoaxes and deceptions ever perpetrated on the American public."

The government and the pharmaceutical companies conspire to keep natural cures from you, he insists, to make money by selling medicine.

"It's so profitable to the companies that sell it," he says. "Chemotherapy kills more people than cancer itself."

Trudeau has no medical training and no particular health expertise. What he does have is a following, and that's what concerns so many in the established medical community.

"I tell people, 'Don't listen to me,'" Trudeau responds when asked why anyone should listen to him instead of their doctor. "I say, 'I'm reporting, and I'm giving you facts, make an informed decision.'"

Trudeau asks why anyone should listen to the Food and Drug Administration. "This is the same organization that said Vioxx is safe and effective," he said."Then they said, 'Oops, we were wrong.' Why should we listen to them?"

But some of Trudeau's claims do not stand scrutiny.

Asked for his "natural cure" for diabetes, Trudeau continually cites a study from the University of Calgary, which he says "has 25 years of research" of a natural way to make it so "diabetes can be, if not completely cured and wiped out in America, dramatically reduced by this herbal combination."

But when asked, the University of Calgary told ABC News that "there is no scientific evidence that any herbal remedy can cure any form of diabetes. In our review of the claims made by Kevin Trudeau's book, we have established that there have been no human studies conducted at the University of Calgary in the past 20 years on herbal remedies for diabetes."

Trudeau responded that he was "shocked and amazed" and that he would send us documentation he was referring to. We never did receive that documentation.

The book also claims: "All of the author's royalties on the sale of this book are being used to help fund the mission of educating people about natural health care and exposing corporate and government corruption."

But that "mission of educating people" includes paying for Trudeau's flights and luxury hotel stays as he jets around the country for interviews, he acknowledges.

He says it's "just like when you give money to the American Cancer Society, and the president flies on a corporate private Gulfstream [jet], stays in the Four Seasons hotel, your donation paid for that because he's — in his opinion — helping to spread the news about cancer."


A Future in Politics?

But his latest, quite successful incarnation as an author isn't the final stage of Kevin Trudeau's career, he says.

After one of his rants against the pharmaceutical industry and tort reform, it's noted to Trudeau that he sounds like he's going to run for office.

"I am," he says.

Really?

"Absolutely," he says. "There's 25 million people in this country who purchase my products."

He says he hasn't decided what office he'll run for, but it would be as an independent and it would be for federal office. "In order to make a change, you have to stand up and expose the corruption in government, and the … connection between big corporations and government."

House? Senate? Presidency?

"One of those three," he says.

ABC News' Ted Gerstein, Zena Barakat and Melinda Arons contributed to this report.
 
Yup. This guy is absolutely nuts and is putting the lives of the gullible at risk.
 
I haven't read the book but if Dr. Atkins can write a book saying we should eat nothing but meat I don't see why Trudeau shouldn't be allowed to talk about herbal remedies and the dangers of hospitals and drugs.

At least he's still alive.
 
In other words - people can say whatever they want, it is the consumers' responsiblity to check the crediblity of their sources. That's what freedom of speech is all about.
 
have you ever seen this guy on tv? he is so slick. Comletly dumb, but slick.
 
Actually, I support him. I dont trust the pharmaceudical companies on the other hand. I dont take any vaccines, manufactured vitamins or drugs unless im on my death bed. The human body has a great ability to cleanse and heal itself and there are many known cures for ailments that dont include manufactured drugs. Unless, of course, the situation is dire, then I wouldnt accept intervention with drugs.
 
MattJek said:
Actually, I support him. I dont trust the pharmaceudical companies on the other hand. I dont take any vaccines, manufactured vitamins or drugs unless im on my death bed. The human body has a great ability to cleanse and heal itself and there are many known cures for ailments that dont include manufactured drugs. Unless, of course, the situation is dire, then I wouldnt accept intervention with drugs.
Well put. I feel the pretty much the same.

I take a couple of suppliments but nothing synthetic and nothing that won't absorb fully in water (many additives like magnesium sterate for example are non-water soluble). I haven't taken any drugs (including asprin) in years. :)
 
what does that mean exactly? I'm assuming you're just referring to prescription drugs? Have you seen the rest of what this guy pitches?
 
Crazy stuff from not using clothes dryers to the wonders of Scientology™.
 
Oh my god that guy is a complete whack job! He along with all the people just like him should be rounded up and shot! Now I'm not saying that herbal remedies aren't bad in fact quite the contrary because I take a few but still quite a few of his claims are outrageous like that sunblock, the thing that is actually protecting you from the sun's rays, is killing you :P. What would be really fun would be to have him stand out in the sun for like five days or even a week with his "remedies" and see what he looks like when it is over to "prove" his finds:evil:!
 
ndtim said:
what does that mean exactly? I'm assuming you're just referring to prescription drugs? Have you seen the rest of what this guy pitches?
Yeah, perscription drugs. And no, I haven't read the book (my girlfriend has it though, it's probably within 20 feet of me somewhere). AFAIK he just talks about herbs and natural remedies and exposes dangers of doctors, hospitals and surgury (which are pretty well known, just a month ago my GF's sister almost died due to sloppy "routine" cyst surgury). I don't really understand what the controversy is about. Alot of shady things go on in hospitals, with doctors and with pharm companies. This is pretty common knowledge, is it not? Doctors may help fix someone up (mend a broken arm) but they hardly know how to keep people healthy. Most medical schools don't even offer courses in nutrition (and the "food pryamid" is a friggin' joke). Of course, they give lip service to living a healthy lifestyle (diet, excersise) but really they just want to convince every Tom, Dick, Harry & Jane that they need some kind of drug to be safe. This is the opposite of the truth.

Anyway, I'll shut up now since I haven't read the book. Maybe I will glance at it tomorrow.
 
The Condor said:
... a few of his claims are outrageous like that sunblock, the thing that is actually protecting you from the sun's rays, is killing you :P. ...
I don't use sunblock either or any lotion. It's got all sorts of crap in it that clogs up a person's skin. I never burn in the sun either. I wouldn't say it would kill a person but I don't think it's very optimal either. From what I've read (not in any of Trudeu's books) - two hours after you put it (sunblock) on you'll be pissing out some of the filler ingrediants they put in it. That means your body is expelling it as a toxin, so why would I want to put it on my skin. Does everyone who goes out in the sun get skin cancer? It's just fear man. I guarentee you I will never get skin cancer. When I lived in Florida I would just cut aloe vera and put it on my skin in the off chance I got stuck out in it too long. Like I said, I've never had a burn since childhood (when I used to use sunscreen :crazyeye: ).
 
Well you probably have some lucky gene then or something because whenever I am out under the Californian sun for a while (not just any time granted) I get some bad burns. But then again everyone is different. Maybe for some people it is worse where as for others it is better. So what if it clogs up your skin. If it keeps you from getting skin cancer I'm for the most part all for it for because my family's history has a long line of cancer related illnesses and deaths so I use it when I out for generally periods longer than two hours and by out I mean not just getting in a car and then going somewhere indoors then going back home using the car once more. I mean like actually staying outdoors for that long doing activities like biking or walking around the beach or something like that (we have a huge biking path near where we live) that you aren't as protected from the sun doing.
 
Does anyone entertain these thoughts? Absolutely, my mum does.
Every week there seems to be a new herbal cure for something or other.
Last week's one was blueberry seeds, the week before it was only drinking water (which had to stand at room temperature for 24 hours first) from a blue glass. In the last twenty years she must have tried over a thousand different things. What ever she hears from someone without any medical training she deems infinately more reliable than anything that has been tested in a laboratory.
And yes, she does spend all her money on it.
Which she of course is entitled to do as a grown woman.
It just gets tiring to listen to.

The part I don't understand is if these herbal remedies that have been around for centuries are so much better than the modern medicines, why has life expectancy gone up instead of down?
 
Mathilda said:
The part I don't understand is if these herbal remedies that have been around for centuries are so much better than the modern medicines, why has life expectancy gone up instead of down?
Lower infant mortality basically. Take that away and the figures have inched up only a small amount.
 
Sorry I'm going to have to call bullfeathers on that...infant mortality rates? Only inched up? What time period are you referring to? And just out of curiosity, where did you find this info?
 
ndtim said:
Sorry I'm going to have to call bullfeathers on that...infant mortality rates? Only inched up? What time period are you referring to? And just out of curiosity, where did you find this info?
Its actually a common misconception that people didn't used to live very long. But what Narz says has some truth - life expectancy is average life expectancy, and with poor medical care, lots of children died very young. If they lived through the first few years, they could easily see out 3-score+10.
 
Narz said:
Lower infant mortality basically. Take that away and the figures have inched up only a small amount.
Yes, I found similar opinions on the net.
They seem to say that if you compare life expectancy at birth now to life expectancy at the age of twenty threehundred years ago, it's only gone up by 10 - 15 years.

So Narz, you need to ignore
- the benefits of vaccinations :nuke:
- the benefits of antibiotics :nuke:
- the benefits of modern medical care of chilhood disesases :nuke:
and to compare apples with oranges to get an improvement of only around 20%.

This, I think you agree, at the same time as we have started using pesticides and fertilizers, so that the real nutrition we get from food has gone down.

Now considering that if "official" medicines are poisons that harm us (cause diseases and bring down life expactancy), that leaves an awful lot of benefit we've had from improvement on hygiene.
Quite a lot more than I'm prepared to believe in.

Or did you have some other explanation as to why the life expactancy has gone up?
 
Again, I'll ask over what period of time did life expectency only inch up? 1500-2000? 1800-2000? I understand how averages work and how infant mortality would skew the average... The question was raised as to why we would go back to using centuries old natural medicines as opposed to modern treatments...I understood the response re: insignificant increases in lifespan to be an argument that old medicine is about as good as modern medicine...the evidence being that people really aren't living longer. I don't think it is at all legitimate to say that the increase in lifespan since natural medicines were discovered (well over a 1000 years ago) has been insignificant.
 
Mathilda said:
Now considering that if "official" medicines are poisons that harm us (cause diseases and bring down life expactancy), that leaves an awful lot of benefit we've had from improvement on hygiene.
Quite a lot more than I'm prepared to believe in.

Or did you have some other explanation as to why the life expactancy has gone up?
I think the main reason really is simply better hygiene. Combined with surgury that can keep sick people alive longer and save the life of someone with apendicitus or a similar illness.

Certain medicines may keep some older ill folks alive longer but will it improve their quality of life? Most likely not (IMO).

And while I agree that the quality of most of todays food has gone down, the variety has gone way up. Also people can get nutritional and/or herbal or foodbased suppliments from around the world.

Mostly it's just hygiene though. And remember, it hasn't gone up as much as it seems. Plus in many parts of the world life expectancy is far higher than it is in the US and most of Europe.

I believe vacinations are all placebo effects (as well as filled with toxic fillers) and don't plan to give them ever to my kids (or my cats).
 
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