Personal Life
Oz lives in Cliffside Park, New Jersey with his wife Lisa. They have been married since 1985 and have four children.
Oz is fluent in both English and Turkish. He is a holder of both Turkish and American citizenship, having served in the Turkish Army to retain his Turkish citizenship.
He grew up in a mixed Muslim environment where his father's family were conservatives who believed in the integration of Islam and government, and his mother's family were more secular Muslims. He has been influenced by the mysticism of Sufi Muslims, as well as the ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish scientist, philosopher, and Christian theologian. He recently wrote in Spirituality and Health Magazine that "As I came into contact with Swedenborg's many writings, I began to understand Swedenborg's profound insights and how they applied directly to my life". He mentions Swedenborg's ideas that marriage lasts to eternity, everyone has a purpose in this world, God is love, and Swedenborg's answers to "Why do bad things happen?".
Oz is a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation. "When I meditate, I go to that place where truth lives," he said. "I can see what reality really is, and it is so much easier to form good relationships then."
In August 2010, Oz was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous polyp in the colon during a routine colonoscopy which was performed as part of his show. Oz said that the procedure likely saved his life.
Read more about this topic: Mehmet Oz
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