Daphne Oz

Born Daphne Nur Oz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the eldest of four children born to cardiothoracic surgeon and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife, author and producer Lisa Oz. While growing up in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, her interest in health and nutrition began while attending high school at the Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey; there, she wrote a research paper on teenage eating habits, which prompted her to approach her school's cafeteria about healthy alternatives for students. Oz then attended Princeton University as a Near Eastern Studies major, where she discovered that intensive studies often translated into poor eating habits and choices. Unlike many students, who gained the dreaded "freshman 15" pounds during their first year at college, the previously overweight Oz actually dropped 10 pounds by sticking to a vegetarian diet and snacking on fruits and nuts. In 2006, Oz turned her observations and experience into her first book, The Dorm Room Diet, which became a national best seller. She was soon an in-demand guest on various television talk shows and news program, as well as a contributor to various publications and web sites, including The Huffington Post. In 2007, Oz published a follow-up book, The Dorm Room Diet Planner before launching a second career as a featured speaker at various conferences and forums on health and women's issues, most notably the Governor's Women's Conference in 2008. After marrying fellow Princeton student John Jovanovic in 2010, Oz was selected as one of five co-hosts for the daytime talk/cooking show "The Chew." The show quickly became a success, due in part to Oz's cheerful personality and often bawdy sense of humor. A nationally syndicated column, "Food Thoughts," was launched the following year, with a third book, Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style and Everyday Fun reaching readers in 2013. That same year, Oz announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child in February of 2014.