St. Joseph Hoag Health Tackles Obesity and Offers Trusted Health Advice During "Shop with Your Doc" Events at Local Supermarkets

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- If you could grocery shop with your doctor, would you make healthier food choices? That's the question Orange County residents can answer when St. Joseph Hoag Health launches its "Shop with Your Doc" events from mid-October through November at Ralphs and Food 4 Less supermarkets. In partnership with Ralphs and Food 4 Less, the health network will station doctors and other health care experts at grocery stores where shoppers can get nutritional advice, as well as blood pressure checks.

Orange County, like most of the nation, has a rising obesity problem. About 21 percent of OC teens are overweight or obese, as are more than 60 percent of adults, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.  And, the longer people live with obesity, the more they are at risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"At St. Joseph Hoag Health, we recognize that curtailing obesity requires education that reaches the community in a personalized way," said Richard Afable, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the network. "Our Shop with Your Doc partnership with Ralphs/Food 4 Less is in its third year of successfully connecting with residents at the precise time and place in which their dietary choices are being made. By building nutrition awareness at the neighborhood supermarket, this annual undertaking makes it easy and enjoyable for people to access the expert information they need to shop smart, achieve or maintain a healthy diet and, ultimately, prevent future health problems."

During Shop with Your Doc, shoppers can tour the store with physicians, registered dieticians and other St. Joseph Hoag Health experts and ask questions—about ingredients, labels, vitamins, food groups, or how to get children to eat their vegetables, for example. St. Joseph Hoag Health nurses and physician assistants will also offer free blood pressure checks and educate shoppers about how picking the right foods can protect their health.

"Unhealthy eating is one of the biggest contributors to obesity, but people don't always know what foods are better for them," said Amy Alias, MD, an internal medicine physician with St. Jude Heritage Medical Group in Fullerton, part of the St. Joseph Hoag Health network of care. "We care deeply about our neighbors, and an event like Shop with Your Doc allows us to spread the word outside of the doctor's office about the health benefits of good nutrition and the kinds of foods that are part of a healthier lifestyle."

"The supermarket is an ideal place for health experts to show people how to identify foods that meet their nutritional goals," said Kendra Doyel, public affairs group vice president, Ralphs/ Food 4 Less. "We want Ralphs and Food 4 Less customers to be able to make informed and healthy decisions, and Shop with Your Doc is helping them do that."

Shop with Your Doc is part of St. Joseph Hoag Health's commitment to addressing community health challenges statewide and making access to trusted health and medical advice easier and more convenient.

Where the Wonders of Medicine Meet the Wonder of You – St. Joseph Hoag Health

Shop with Your Doc will be hosted at the following locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

• Thursday, Oct. 20 - Food 4 Less, 315 E. First St., Santa Ana
• Monday, Oct. 24 - Ralphs, 2555 Eastbluff Dr., Newport Beach
• Friday, Oct. 28 - Ralphs, Hillcrest Park Center, 1121 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton
• Wednesday, Nov. 9 - Ralphs, 19081 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach
• Saturday, Nov. 12 - Ralphs, 26751 Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch
• Monday, Nov. 14 - Food4Less, 1616 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim
• Wednesday, Nov. 16 - Food 4 Less, 914 W. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton
• Monday, Nov. 28 - Ralphs, 17605 Harvard Ave., Irvine

About St. Joseph Hoag Health:

St. Joseph Hoag Health is a historic alliance for Orange County, laying the foundation for sweeping changes in the delivery and accessibility of high quality health care. Combined, St. Joseph Hoag Health has earned some of the highest honors for medical care, including Magnet designation for many of its hospitals (the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence). Drawing upon the strengths of renowned health care organizations, St. Joseph Hoag Health focuses on meeting the big challenges of health care today, including expanding access, improving wellness and preventive services, ensuring quality and developing more efficient methods in the delivery of care. The network includes flagship hospitals (Hoag Newport Beach, Hoag Irvine, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, Mission Hospital Mission Viejo, Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, St. Joseph Hospital Orange and St. Jude Medical Center), eight medical groups and physician networks and numerous outpatient and urgent care facilities in Orange County. The network is also affiliated with CHOC Children's and CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital. For additional information, visit http://www.stjosephhoaghealth.org/.

About Ralphs:

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 207 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles. Last year, Ralphs contributed more than $6 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company's stores. Ralphs is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the world's largest retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our web site at www.ralphs.com

About Food 4 Less:

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Food 4 Less operates 131 price-impact, warehouse-format supermarkets under the banners Food 4 Less in Southern California, Illinois and Indiana; and Foods Co in Central and Northern California. Last year, Food 4 Less contributed more than $4 million to support education, hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company's stores. Food 4 Less is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the world's largest retailers, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information about Food 4 Less/Foods Co, please visit our websites at www.food4less.com / www.foodsco.net.

SOURCE St. Joseph Hoag Health

Related Links

http://www.stjosephhoaghealth.org