Dr. Rita Hancock, author of The Eden Diet, knows firsthand what it is like to overcome obesity. Being Italian, she had access to the world's most delicious food when she was growing up. Unfortunately, she ate too much of it. By the time Rita was 17 and was 5'1" tall, she weighed 207 pounds and wore size 20 jeans.

Prior to leaving for Cornell University to study nutrition, Rita lost 75 pounds. And she did it by including occasional treats in her overall low-calorie diet, and by eating less and exercising more.

At Cornell, Rita minored in nutrition, participated in original nutrition research, and completed a thesis on the control of body weight. Through these studies, she was mentored by a world leader in obesity research.

Apart from temporary fluctuations in her weight related to having children, Rita has now maintained her weight loss for 25 years.

Dr. Rita is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist with a subspecialty board certification in pain management. She has been in full time practice in Norman, Oklahoma for 10 years.