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| Author | Kevin Trudeau |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Weight loss |
| Genre | Self-help |
| Publisher | Alliance Publishing |
Publication date | 1 April 2007 |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-0-9787851-0-9 |
| OCLC | 122341864 |
| 613.25 22 | |
| LC Class | RM222.2 .T78 2007 |
The Weight Loss Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About is a weight loss book written by salesman and convicted fraudster Kevin Trudeau. It was released in April 2007 by Alliance Publishing.
Trudeau was convicted of felonies [1] and fined by the Federal Trade Commission for making fraudulent claims pertaining to the book, in part because it gives medical advice but he has no medical training. [2] The book repeats a refuted claim to change activity in the hypothalamus, linked to the pituitary gland, with the intention to control hunger and regulation of fat cells, by using herbal supplements and repeated use of the hCG hormone; this claim was originally made by Albert T. W. Simeons in the 1950s. Simeons' results were not reproduced by other researchers and in 1976 in response to complaints the FDA required Simeons and others to include the following disclaimer on all advertisements:
These weight reduction treatments include the injection of HCG, a drug which has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective in the treatment of obesity or weight control. There is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restrictive diets.
— 1976 FDA-mandated disclaimer for HCG diet advertisements
The book follows up his two other bestselling but critically panned books, Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About and More Natural Cures Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease. Weight Loss Cure has appeared on the bestseller's lists of the Wall Street Journal , USA Today , Publishers Weekly , and The New York Times .
The FTC filed a contempt of court action against Trudeau and the companies that market his book alleging that Trudeau is in contempt of a 2004 court order by "deceptively claiming in his infomercials that the book being advertised establishes a weight-loss protocol that is 'easy' to follow". The action was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on September 17, 2007. [3] According to a FTC Press Release, Trudeau claims that the weight loss plan outlined in the book is easy, can be done at home, and allows readers to eat anything they want. When consumers buy the book, they find that it describes a complex plan that requires intense dieting, daily injections of a prescribed drug that is not easily obtainable, and lifelong dietary restrictions. [4]
On November 16, 2007, Trudeau was found in contempt of the 2004 court order for making "patently false" claims in his weight loss book. U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman ruled that Trudeau “clearly misrepresents in his advertisements the difficulty of the diet described in his book, and by doing so, he has misled thousands of consumers.” A penalty will be determined at a later hearing. [5] [6] [7] In October 2008, Trudeau was fined more than $5 million and banned from infomercials for three years for continuing to make fraudulent claims pertaining to the book. [8]
Complaints about Trudeau's weight loss system and business practices can be found at the Consumer Affairs website. In summary, the complaints tend to refer to a problem of unsubscribing from the website and its monthly fees as well as the inability to follow the protocol, detailed by Trudeau, in the United States due to product availability and legal reasons.
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The book's diet has been compared to a diet plan by British endocrinologist Albert T. W. Simeons in the 1950s. The book describes a multi-month, 3-phase plan that involves changing to all organic foods, [9] [10] with repeated colonic cleansing and liver detoxification, [9] [10] followed by a 2nd-phase period of daily use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), [9] typically injections, under the direction of a healthcare provider or doctor. [9] The use of hCG in men has been found to increase testosterone, which is linked to muscle growth; [11] however, in women, hCG does not produce any consistent or biologically significant increase in testosterone. [11] For men, hCG can have some potential side-effects, including gynecomastia, water retention, increase in sex drive, mood alterations, headaches, and high blood pressure. [12]
In Phase 3, use of hCG stops, but food continues to be 100% organic. [9] Other recommended activities include walking an hour a day or more, eating organic grapefruit, and doing breathing exercises. [10] Scheduled doctor visits, buying organic foods and hCG can be very expensive for the average consumer, [9] but wealthy people have paid to follow the plan, and the plan might work for people who can afford it. [9] According to an analysis by Carrie Poppy of Skeptical Inquirer, the weight loss plan would cost the user up to $18,000 if followed to the letter. [13]
As early as 1962, the Journal of the American Medical Association warned against the Simeons Diet. [14] The FTC ordered clinics and promoters of the Simeons Diet and hCG to cease making false claims about the effectiveness of hCG and its approval status by the FDA for weight loss. [15] Clinical research trials published by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that hCG is ineffective as a weight-loss aid. [16]
Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland. The production of LH is regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. In females, an acute rise of LH known as an LH surge, triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell–stimulating hormone (ICSH), it stimulates Leydig cell production of testosterone. It acts synergistically with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone for the maternal recognition of pregnancy produced by trophoblast cells that are surrounding a growing embryo, which eventually forms the placenta after implantation. The presence of hCG is detected in some pregnancy tests. Some cancerous tumors produce this hormone; therefore, elevated levels measured when the patient is not pregnant may lead to a cancer diagnosis and, if high enough, paraneoplastic syndromes, however, it is not known whether this production is a contributing cause, or an effect of carcinogenesis. The pituitary analog of hCG, known as luteinizing hormone (LH), is produced in the pituitary gland of males and females of all ages.
A pregnancy test is used to determine whether a female is pregnant or not. The two primary methods are testing for the female pregnancy hormone in blood or urine using a pregnancy test kit, and scanning with ultrasonography. Testing blood for hCG results in the earliest detection of pregnancy. Almost all pregnant women will have a positive urine pregnancy test one week after the first day of a missed menstrual period.
Gonadotropins are glycoprotein hormones secreted by gonadotropic cells of the anterior pituitary of vertebrates. This family includes the mammalian hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), the placental/chorionic gonadotropins, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), as well as at least two forms of fish gonadotropins. These hormones are central to the complex endocrine system that regulates normal growth, sexual development, and reproductive function. LH and FSH are secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, while hCG and eCG are secreted by the placenta in pregnant humans and mares, respectively. The gonadotropins act on the gonads, controlling gamete and sex hormone production.
Choriocarcinoma is a malignant, trophoblastic cancer, usually of the placenta. It is characterized by early hematogenous spread to the lungs. It belongs to the malignant end of the spectrum in gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). It is also classified as a germ cell tumor and may arise in the testis or ovary.
Kevin Trudeau is an American author, salesman, and television personality known for promotion of his books and resulting legal cases involving the US Federal Trade Commission. His ubiquitous late-night infomercials, which promoted unsubstantiated health, diet, and financial advice, earned him a fortune but resulted in civil and criminal penalties for fraud, larceny, and contempt of court.
Coral calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. It has been promoted as an alternative, but unsubstantiated, treatment or cure for a number of health conditions.
Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About is a 2005 self-published book by American author Kevin Trudeau, promoting various purported non-drug and non-surgical cures for many diseases, primarily in support of his business selling such products. Trudeau accuses pharmaceutical companies and the United States government of censoring these products and methods on the basis that it would cut into their profit margin. The book is the subject of widespread allegations of fraud.
Menotropin is a hormonally active medication for the treatment of fertility disturbances. Frequently the plural is used as the medication is a mixture of gonadotropins. Menotropins are extracted from the urine of postmenopausal women.
The luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), also lutropin/choriogonadotropin receptor (LCGR) or luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), is a transmembrane receptor found predominantly in the ovary and testis, but also many extragonadal organs such as the uterus and breasts. The receptor interacts with both luteinizing hormone (LH) and chorionic gonadotropins and represents a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Its activation is necessary for the hormonal functioning during reproduction.
Donald W. Barrett is the founder and president of ITV Direct, a company which produces infomercials for broadcast in the United States. Almost all are related to health and nutrition.
Sensa is an American brand of diet aid created by Alan Hirsch, an American neurologist and psychiatrist. The product lacks scientific evidence of effect and has been the subject of controversy and lawsuits. Following a $26 million fine by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2014, the company ceased operations.
Gonadotropin preparations are drugs that mimic the physiological effects of gonadotropins, used therapeutically mainly as fertility medication for ovarian hyperstimulation and ovulation induction. For example, the so-called menotropins consist of LH and FSH extracted from human urine from menopausal women. There are also recombinant variants.
Theca lutein cyst is a type of bilateral functional ovarian cyst filled with clear, straw-colored fluid. These cysts result from exaggerated physiological stimulation due to elevated levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) or hypersensitivity to beta-hCG. On ultrasound and MRI, theca lutein cysts appear in multiples on ovaries that are enlarged.
Dr. Albert Theodore William Simeons was the leading exponent of a weight-loss protocol based on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). In 1954, he published a book called "Pounds and Inches", and a paper in the Lancet on his theories.
Hormonal regulation occurs at every stage of development. A milieu of hormones simultaneously affects development of the fetus during embryogenesis and the mother, including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and progesterone (P4).
Choriogonadotropin subunit beta (CG-beta) also known as chorionic gonadotrophin chain beta is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CGB gene.
Simeon is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Stanley K. Bernstein is a Canadian physician who founded and is the current owner of 60 weight-loss clinics in Canada known collectively as the Dr. Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics. Bernstein has owned and operated weight-loss clinics since 1974 and employs a weight-loss regimen involving a low calorie intake, frequent physician visits and injections of a Vitamin B solution. Bernstein is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.
Induction of final maturation of oocytes is a procedure that is usually performed as part of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation to render the oocytes fully developed and thereby resulting in optimal pregnancy chances. It is basically a replacement for the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge whose effects include final maturation in natural menstrual cycles.