The Executive Director of Age Concern warned of an ageing sedentary workforce as she gave her support to The Royal Gazette's Have a Heart Campaign.

Claudette Fleming said she's not only a supporter of our campaign, but is also participating the Live Healthy Bermuda 100 Day Challenge, which launched in conjunction with this paper's campaign last week.

The Bermuda Diabetes Association, Aspen Insurance, Lindo's Supermarket, the Department of Health and Quaker Oats are all encouraging the public to take up the challenge and lead healthier lifestyles.

This paper hopes to keep the topic of obesity and related diseases such as Type II diabetes in the public domain for at least the year. Yesterday, Ms Fleming said she supported this paper's initiative as well as the 100 Day Challenge, because healthier lifestyles need to start early.

She said: "I think the campaign is great. I would endorse the Have a Heart Campaign and I am on the 100 Day Challenge and it's really hard. "So many of the issues you see in the community health we have the ability to tackle. "Some of it's lack of education and some of it's cultural and we are not in the habit of not doing things and we are a busy society. But at all ages if you are not accustomed to checking your weight you won't in your old age."

The problem, she said, is that previous generations of retirees were mostly blue collar workers who were active in their daily jobs. Now, however, Bermuda like the rest of the world, have a majority of white collar workers who are used to just sitting in front of a computer.

This she says can contribute to eating poorly and a less active lifestyle, which is dangerous when they grow older and retire.

She said: "I know there was a campaign in the US to bring back recess and for the children to run around. That's another problem too.

"We are all just more used to a sedentary lifestyle. But what companies are doing is investing in gyms because it's about bottom line and employee health costs. We have got to put changes in place so we have less people depending on health care in the future."

That is what organisers of the 100 Day Challenge hope, which has attracted more than 2000 people in its first week.

It is a online programme pitting teams against each other in an attempt to keep motivation up for the programme. Each week the team captain will update their website with either the weight loss or the minutes of activity each member has completed.

With 63 percent of the population on the Island considered overweight or obese and the level of Type II diabetes surpassing even the United States, The Royal Gazette also launched their Have a Heart Campaign.

If you have a success story, a healthy vending machine at work or healthy cafeteria please get in touch with either Robyn Skinner at rskinner@royalgazette.bm or Mikaela Pearman at mpearman@royalgazette.bm or call: 295-5881.