More than 1,500 people have joined the Live Healthy Bermuda 100 Day Challenge in just ten days.

Troy Vincent, director of Live Healthy America, a nonprofit organisation providing the web-based, health programme in the US and now, here in Bermuda, said he was overwhelmed by the response.

Last Wednesday the team-based weight loss and physical activity programme — Live Healthy Bermuda 100 Day Challenge — had its first weigh-in which received an overwhelming response.

That night more than 163 people weighed in with a total weight of 32,198.5 pounds — 13,542 pounds of that was purely fat.

The average body fat was 40.67 percent and the largest person to weigh-in was 490 pounds.

This week, in conjunction with The Royal Gazette's Have a Heart Campaign, Live Healthy Bermuda 100 Day Challenge launched with more than 1,500 participants and 230 teams.

Mr. Vincent said: "We are so encouraged by the initial response to the Live Healthy Bermuda programme from the community.

"The collaboration efforts for this programme have been simply amazing; community leaders, businesses and associations have unified to launch this programme and assist Bermudians in living healthier lives.

"The number of participants so far is fantastic; I am simply in awe of the sense of community and collaboration efforts. We are anxious to share this model and everyone's efforts with cities across the United States."

The challenge, which is sponsored by Bermuda Diabetes Association, Lindo's Supermarkets, Aspen Insurance, the Department of Health and Quaker Oats requires participants to work in teams of between two and ten people, which organisers hope will increase the competition and keep everyone motivated.

Yesterday, Sarah Burrows, of the Bermuda Diabetes Association, said: "We are really excited about the enthusiasm the Bermuda community has shown for the Live Healthy Bermuda 100 Day Challenge."

Each team has a page, which will include the minutes each member exercised and/or their weight.

All of this information is private, so only the person who puts it in can see their individual weight, however, the main window has the total for the team.

Helping them along the way will be weekly e-mails from Live Healthy Bermuda as well as the nutrition, fitness and motivation resources online.

Terry Faulkenberry from Aspen Insurance Ltd. added: "I know we, as a community, can work to make positive changes in our health and that's exactly what we're doing with this program."

The official start of the programme was on January 16, however, interested people are invited to register throughout the 100 Day Challenge by visiting:

www.livehealthybermuda.org