A Big Brother-style video project persuading people to lead healthier lives has been given Government approval.

Brighton and Hove City Council's ninelives project has been used as one of the models for the UK's submission to this week's Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

An as-yet unnamed Cabinet minister will hand the campaign's organisers a top award at a ceremony in October.

The project web site, www.ninelives.tv, has won the overall merit award in the New Statesman New Media Awards.

The £30,000 initiative saw nine people record video diaries as they tried to live more environmentally-friendly lives.

The results were broadcast on the internet at the end of the nine-week project last November.

The nine participants were coached by experts in subjects including gardening, energy efficiency and healthy eating.

Ruth Farber-Nathan, from Saltdean, stuck to an organic vegetarian diet and gave away 90 per cent of her worldly goods.

Jan Hodge, from Patcham, discovered she was diabetic and started losing weight after enrolling with the ninelives personal trainer.

Pensioner Dudley Davies, from Hove, became fitter after starting yoga and cooking with fresh ingredients rather than eating TV dinners.

James Cully, of New Statesman Online, said: "The judges thought the project was an excellent idea well-executed and they were very impressed with the range of partners and sponsors involved."

The New Statesman awards ceremony will take place on October 1 in Blackpool as part of this year's Labour Party conference.

Last month ninelives won a BT-sponsored award for its creative use of technology.

The project has been shortlisted for the British Interactive Media Awards 2002, which will be announced on October 3.