OAKLAND — Children's Hospital Oakland is one of three Bay Area hospitals that will be recognized Monday night at a black-tie gala in San Francisco for its work in fighting childhood obesity through the hospital's Healthy Eating, Active Living clinic, or HEAL.

Programs at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital also will be honored. The hospitals are being recognized by the San Francisco-based Help Raise Healthy Children project.

The gala is 8 p.m. Monday at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House.

A special honor also will go to Alice Waters, founder and president of the Chez Panisse Foundation, for her work as a pioneering restaurateur and food activist, creating The Edible Schoolyard for the Berkeley public schools. Proceeds from the gala will support Waters' foundation, as well as programs at all three hospitals.

"We're thrilled to be among the beneficiaries of this gala benefit," said Dr. Lydia Tinajero-Deck, director of Children's HEAL clinic. "We have an innovative program that combines obesity treatment and prevention, research and community outreach to give children the help they need to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle."

The HEAL clinic is built on the idea that children do not exist apart from their families, hospital officials said. Experts believe that an overweight child is also a symptom of a family needing help with food and activity choices. Over a course of six visits, patients coming to HEAL meet with a physician, a dietitian, an exercise specialist, and a health counselor.

The Gala Event will encourage healthy eating. Waters will create the menu for the pre-gala dinner, which will be held in San Francisco's City Hall Rotunda. The gala show will follow at the Opera House, where there will be performances by music legend Marvin Hamlish, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and The Bouncing Bulldogs.

Help Raise Healthy Children is a project dedicated to transforming children's lives by advocating for healthy eating, active living and positive life choices for children