Dr. Oz Kicks off iVillage's Guest Editor Series in 2013

Related: NBC

iVillage, one of the largest communities for women online, is kicking off its 2013 Guest Editor series with a special focus on weight loss and better health. The 2013 series begins with Dr. Mehmet Oz, one of America's favorite doctors, who will guest edit for the week of Feb. 4. Themes for the Fat Fighting Solutions week include: "Melt the Fat Away," "The HCG Diet," "Dr. Oz's Flat Belly Diet," "Weight Loss Trick for Your Body Type," and "Rev Up Your Metabolism Slump." Since the successful launch of iVillage's Guest Editor program in August 2012 with First Lady Michelle Obama, the site has featured a prestigious line-up of editors including Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys and Lauren Conrad.

"With the incredible success of the Guest Editor series over the last few months, we're thrilled to bring it back for 2013- and what better way to start the New Year than with a focus on health and weight loss," said Liz Zack, Editorial Director at iVillage. "Dr. Oz is such a wealth of knowledge on this subject and we're also excited to mine our smart Community for their best ideas on living healthier and happier lives."

Dr. Mehmet Oz, Emmy-award winning host of THE Dr. Oz SHOW, will bring his straightforward advice and insights to the Community on how to achieve healthy weight loss and to live a happier, fuller life.

iVillage Chief Correspondent Kelly Wallace sat down with Dr. Oz for a special exclusive interview, during which Dr. Oz shared tips for a flat belly, shared intimate details of his family life, admitted his own guilty habits, and more. These video interviews will be featured across iVillage throughout the week. Advanced quotes from the interview are below (if used, credit: iVillage):

###

Dr. Oz's guilty pleasure?

I have plenty of guilty pleasures. But the worst one, if you really wanna get me is chocolate covered nuts.... It's a huge weakness... We have our own addictions. You know, we're all different in this regard. And, you know, I have my own weaknesses. I don't crave junk food when I get into a bad mood or I feel anxiety. What I'll usually do is run to my computer and answer e-mails....It's my way of coping with stress. So I completely understand why stress drives so many of these behaviors. But in my family, and this is cultural in part, we just didn't deal with stress with food... So when I feel the stress in my life, I'll usually work out which, again, is a pretty healthy alternative for folks to consider. I'm not talking about an hour and a half workout. I'm talking about simple things like stretching. Or I'll resort to work, which you know, is my addiction.

"The Dr. Oz Effect":

Well, I'm always humbled when people use the word Oz Effect because it's not me. It's the whole team that works together to come up with these concepts. And we have 200 people here. You look around the office, you'll see, you know, folks like worker bees comin' up with ideas and vetting the concepts that we talk about. So when I get into a controversial area especially, but even for the most mundane recommendations, we have a whole medical unit... Listen, at the end of the day, this show, the Dr. Oz Show is all about trust. That was what I got from Oprah when she launched me on this voyage a couple years ago. You know, it was the trust that she had. And-- the reason I don't sell any products-- and I'm gonna say this again. You know, if you see my name next to a product being sold, it is fake.

Dr. Oz on his greatest rewards:

The most rewarding conversations that I have, and I'm blessed to have so many of them, is when folks walk up to me and say, "You changed my life," or "Changed my family." And the reason that we did it is varied. Sometimes they lost 50 pounds, sometimes they diagnosed a cancer, sometimes they dealt with a mental issue more effectively or a substance abuse.... But it's that same glow they have in their eyes. Where they run into you and they say, "There's something that happened in my life that's really important, something I'll never forget. And it wouldn't have happened except that I was able to meet you through television or the web or however we ended up connecting." And my only request back to them, it's always the same, is just share with people your experience so they can benefit from what you learned.

Dr. Oz on keeping his kids active:

And what I tell my kids is if it's nice outside, like I had to, you have to be outside. So I'll use the screen time as bait. I'll chum the waters with it... And you know what? When they get outside and they start playing Cops and robbers or basketball, whatever it is, they actually don't come back in two hours 'cause it's more fun. There's something unique about playing with each other. And it teaches us life skills that go far beyond physical benefits. It teaches us how to cooperate, how to lose, how to win, how to help, how to support. How to fall down and get back up again.

Oz on his 28-year relationship with his wife and keeping perspective on how people change:

The moment we get married, we start moving apart from each other, like ships at sea. And so you have to reconnect.... So although I've been married 28 years, this is my fourth wife. They all have the same social security number, they have the same name.... But they are very different people. And I think she expects me to change accordingly.... The Challenge is getting people around you to realize that you're changing. And I think that's the biggest obstacle for so many women out there. They know they've evolved, they know they've learned new things. Their bodies have changed. They desire different things. But people around them think they're the same person.... It's like going back to your high school reunion and everyone thinks you're that same kid who was in the third row. But you're not. And so, getting folks to recognize, and for you to recognize in them, that those changes have occurred is of huge value. And because so many times you don't realize that the people in our lives define our lives, we overlook the people that are closest to us.

###

About iVillage
iVillage is one of the largest communities for women online. Every day, women come to iVillage to connect, share advice, find life solutions and inspiration, and engage in conversations that matter most to them in the areas of Pregnancy & Parenting, Health, Food, Entertainment and Beauty & Style. Additional businesses and brand extensions include iVillage Mujer de Hoy (partnership with Telemundo), iVillage UK, iVillage Australia, iVillage Canada, Petside.com, Dinnertool.com, LifeGoesStrong.com, Astrology.com and GardenWeb.com. Based in New York City, iVillage Inc. is part of the NBC News Digital portfolio.