• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, September 1, 2015

After launching in print in February of last year, Dr. Oz The Good Life, the magazine centered on the eponymous font of health and fitness advice, is getting online with the launch of DrOzTheGoodLife.com, Hearst Magazines Digital Media announced this week.

Led by Sarah McNaughton, previously a senior editor at Everyday Health, the new site will feature original content about the core topics explored in the magazine, including healthy recipes, natural beauty, balanced diet and fitness plans.

As with the print magazine, the site’s editorial approach will hew to the telegenic doctor’s overall message that happiness begins with a healthy lifestyle.

The print edition of Dr. Oz the Good Life debuted last year with a rate base of 450,000. This year, it moved to a schedule of 10 issues annually, while the rate base increased to 700,000. 

“The Dr. Oz Show,” a spinoff of Dr. Oz’s appearances as a frequent guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” remains one of the most popular talk shows in the U.S., attracting roughly 2 million viewers per day on average.

The show and its host haven’t been without controversy, however. Some doctors have taken Dr. Oz to task for saying certain diets and supplements have curative properties when there is no evidence to support these claims. One group of physicians signed a letter calling for his ouster as a faculty member at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.

In response, Dr. Oz has staunchly defended his right to give advice on diet, alternative treatments and lifestyle practices he feels are beneficial to health. He claims that position even when evidence is lacking, because the topics are under-researched. He has also acknowledged that “my show is not a medical show.”