Mika Brzezinski talks healthy living

>>> watch for joe and mika , too.

>> who said that? a democrat or republican?

>> democrats.

>> since republicans were wining.

>> it doesn't always have to be democrat or republican.

>> you could say both sides exaggerate.

>> new pope from the americas. this hasn't happened in 1200 years.

>> what are your hopes, first of all, with the new pope? this is full of fat and full of sugar and has no value. we want to eradicate everything like this. we don't need it.

>> is there a question in there?

>> yeah, i'm talking to michelle here.

>> joining me now, the co-host of "morning show" on msnbc, mika .

>> good evening, reverend al.

>> glad to have you with us.

>> good to be here.

>> this week a judge overruled mayor bloomberg in his pursuit of getting sugary drinks in large quantities out of stores. what do you think it's going to take to get this anti-obesity movement to sink in.

>> well, i think it's started and i think it's going to happen at a much more rapid rate. this might have been seen as a loss for mayor bloomberg but i see it as a loss for society because we have an obesity epidemic. people are beginning to die at record numbers from different obesity-related issues. our children are fatter than ever. this is ultimately hurting our national security and economic security . that's a no-brainer. that part we know. what to do about it? well, someone give us a better idea. at this point mayor bloomberg is ut approximating ideas on the table and if you think about it, they are good ones. he's not banning drinking the drink. he's trying to teach people again, something that's completely gotten out of whack in our society, and that is what a properly healthy portion is.

>> now, what was interesting was he said to joe and you the other morning, more people are dying now because of obesity than starvation, which was startling because i've never heard it put that way.

>> yeah, the pendulum has swung in the other direction and our society has more knee replacements, hip replacements, diabetes, everything related to obesity. think about it. if we were to eradicate obesity, we wouldn't have the health crisis, we wouldn't have problems recruiting in the military. we wouldn't have people too fat to fight for our country. we wouldn't have children growing up with social problems and medical problems and shorter life problems. it's all related to obesity. we have to look in the mirror. we have to be able to have conversation. we actually need to use the "f" word, fat, and obese, and be able to say it to people just like they have any other type of illness.

>> and i think it lifts yourself-esteem. that's what helped many he to lose a lot of weight.

>> yeah.

>> and you have a book coming out on this subject?

>> i do. it's called "obsessed" and it's about america's addiction to junk food and takes my story as well as a good friend of mine who became obese over the process of 20 years and we both kind of found our way back into the middle in terms of our relationship with food and also looked into the science of the addictive qualities of food, of sugar, fat, and salt. the key ingredients in most of the food we eat. and right now the science is showing and there are experts on nutrition, brain experts as well as food experts and obesity experts coming together using the term addictive qualities of these substances. the next level is addiction. if we can actually prove that and i think they will, this will end up in the courts just like cigarettes.

>> now, talking about books, i have to go to your last book. you did a book called "knowing your value" and you talked about women , you talked about what they still face in terms of inequality. you really champion the cause of continuing the fight for gender equality . now, a lot of people have talked about it now but i see people out there as mika -rites.

>> you're nice.

>> tell me about it. because you had valerie jarrett and other people in your book.

>> a lot of people are talking about sheryl sandberg 's book called "lean in." a lot of issues that she brings up in her book i brought up in my book a few years ago called "knowing your value" and it's about how women undermine themselves and each other in the process of trying to grow in the workplace and become financially equitable to their male counterparts and i look at exactly what we do that causes perhaps problems or creates stumbling blocks along the way and sheryl touches on that as well. women care more about being friends than commanding respect. that women tend to apologize for themselves and they feel so lucky to be there and it talks about how you need to really communicate effectively. so what i like about "lean in" is that all women should come to work and "lean in" but then they need to take it to the next step. i think we still need to do that but we've come a long way.

>> i have two daughters. dominique says the difference in your book and others, including "lean in,"s with thsays don't become accommodating to it.

>> that's a key thing. sheryl has received a the lo of criticism that is unwarranted because she's bringing out universal qualities in women many, whether you're at the very top like her or at the bottom starting out and you're in the middle and can't get anywhere, we tend to do certain things first in the conversation or in negotiation or in a relationship that undermines the earning potential, the goal at hand and it's a matter of focusing and commending respect and then understanding that friendship and those other things that you're actually going for will follow. so to will success.

>> you are standing up for women and they call me the activist.

>> and you're generous. thank you