Poop. Dr. Oz loves to talk about it, and apparently, we love to hear about it. Of course, it’s an attention-getting, giggle-inducing topic. But the reason we love to hear him talk about poop is that he talks so smartly about things we want to know more about but don’t know how, or who, to ask. Poop. Testicles. Hormones. Metabolism. Blubber. Sex. His engaging style and clinical knowledge have produced three seasons of uninhibited info-packed discussions that will change your life. And that is his intention.

Transforming Lives, One Hour at a Time
Millions of Americans have watched his rise to fame: A respected heart surgeon, Dr. Oz decided he wanted to take his career to a higher level and drive preventative measures that would address the issues he was seeing in the operating room. He became a medical expert on ABC and CNN,  but it was his collaboration with Oprah that spawned his hugely successful program, the Dr. Oz Show.

Now in its third season, Dr. Oz has challenged viewers to join his Transformation Nation, a 40 week program to lose weight and live better. The program will end with a single winner and a million dollar prize this spring (you can join the transformation here www.doctoroz.com). After a recent taping at the Rockefeller Center studio (with, sadly, no Jimmy Fallon sighting), we were  invited to sit with the doctor and have our own questions answered. You can see a clip of this episode, scheduled to air November 7th, here.

But Does He Live By His Own Advice?
Dr. Oz fielded questions about arsenic in apple juice (we need to have more information about our food sources and labeling should be a big part of that) and HPV vaccines (he’s for it, even for boys, as a firewall to protect all our children) and peppered his talk with illustrative phrases that drove the point home: “Genes load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger,” “We vote with our pocketbooks three times a day,”  “Make your [food] decisions at the store, not at home; once it’s in the house, you’re done,” “automate your eating,” if you don’t have to make decisions when you’re hungry you’ll eat healthier, and on his reason for Transformation Nation: “TV is good at landing punches, but not at driving through punches; you have to have boots on the ground to get real impact.”

And with each point, Dr. Oz’s own experiences became part of the dialogue:  His wife is against vaccinating their children, “It’s civil war at home,” he admitted. And getting kids to eat healthy? “Your job as a parent is to slowly slip in healthy foods. Give them 12 chances to fail. After 12 times, either they don’t like that food, or they will like it.” But how does he stay slim, toned and energized, all while taping six shows a week, seeing patients and operating two days a week, writing magazine and newspaper articles and charing a non-profit?  He sets his alarm clock for the time he goes to sleep, not the time we wakes up, so he gets enough sleep; he eats the same breakfast every day (2% Greek yogurt with blueberries and a bit of Ezekiel cereal); he has daily ‘green drinks’ –celery, greens, ginger, apples– that “jazz me up,” and green tea. Also, we are told, he naps, meditates, does yoga and push ups, many of which you see him do proudly on his show.

His advice seems to be working, clearly for him, but also for the 300,000+ viewers have signed on for Transformation Nation: more than 31,000 pounds have been lost so far. Look for the million-dollar winner to be revealed sometime this spring (during the May ratings sweeps, is my guess).

Photos: Dr. Oz, Dr. Oz and Oprah