NEW YORK, NY — The Emmy Award-winning, critically acclaimed and nationally syndicated "The Dr. Oz Show" begins its third season Monday with brand new episodes that further our national conversation on health and wellness. Hosted by two-time Emmy Award-winning and world-renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, season three of "The Dr. Oz Show" brings station and timeslot upgrades across the country, with the show airing as a lead-in to local news in 150 markets, 83 of which are timeslots formerly occupied by "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Shows airing during premiere week feature signature elements that have made "The Dr. Oz Show" a hit with viewers: life-saving tools and information, fun ways to deal with embarrassing topics like belly fat and bodily waste and hard-hitting investigative news that supports the public's right to know. In September, "The Dr. Oz Show" will announce a season-long million dollar viewer health challenge where people will have the chance to improve their lives in seven different areas that help them reach optimum health. After the steps are completed, a group of judges will choose a winner to receive one million dollars!  



Premiere week shows include:

In the season premiere airing Monday, September 12, 200 women bravely bare their bellies in their battle against the bulge as Dr. Oz reveals a 5-Step Plan for women over 40 to rid themselves of belly fat for good! Then, blast off your bulging belly with foods you never knew could reduce it, and learn great calorie-burning dance moves with "The Dr. Oz Show" contributor, Stepp Stewart.

On Tuesday, September 13, Dr. Oz breaks the silence on ovarian cancer as he partners with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) to bring women the information they need to know. Viewers learn the warning signs and where to find and download a life-saving checklist of ovarian cancer symptoms. Dr. Oz discusses how women are often misdiagnosed and why you MUST pay attention to certain symptoms. Plus, the show traveled to Dallas, Texas where "The Dr. Oz Show" screened dozens of women for ovarian cancer – now the results are revealed and discussed.

Other topics premiering early in the season include a special hour dedicated to the new movie "Contagion," the real truth about a woman striving to be the heaviest in the world, and alternative health all-stars Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra. Premiere week will conclude with the "Contagion" special where Dr. Oz conducts an outbreak experiment with his audience to demonstrate how a pandemic would rip through the globe at astonishing speed. Oscar winning director, Steven Soderbergh, actor Matt Damon and Centers for Disease Control Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, appear to discuss how closely art would imitate life. Dr. Oz examines whether a real life pandemic could happen and what you could do to protect yourself and your family.

Dr. Oz won his second consecutive Emmy Award for outstanding informative talk show host at the 2011 Daytime Emmys. The Dr. Oz Show won its first Emmy Award for Best Informative Talk Show in 2011. The Dr. Oz Show debuted in 2009 with the biggest ratings in seven years in daytime television and maintained impressive ratings throughout the season.

Dr. Oz has served as health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" since 2004, sharing advice with viewers to help them live their best life from the inside out. Dr. Oz has co-authored six New York Times Best Sellers including "YOU: The Owner's Manual," "YOU: The Smart Patient," "YOU: On a Diet," "YOU: Staying Young," "YOU: Being Beautiful" and "YOU Having a Baby" as well as the award-winning "Healing from the Heart." He has a regular column in TIME Magazine, AARP and O The Oprah Magazine. He is also the host of a daily talk show on Sirius XM Radio's "Oprah Radio."

Dr. Oz is vice-chair of the Department of Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital and performs 100 heart operations annually. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents.  

Cleared in over 99% of the country, "The Dr. Oz Show" is co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and distributed by SPT. "The Dr. Oz Show" is executive produced by Mindy Borman; Amy Chiaro is co-executive producer. The show is filmed in front of a studio audience in Studio 6A in New York's legendary Rockefeller Center.