Dance fitness company Zumba Fitness has launched a new initiative encouraging people: “don’t just burn calories, donate them” in a bid to help fight one of the world's greatest health risks – hunger.

“The Great Calorie Drive” initiative is a collaboration with US hunger-relief organisation Feeding America and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

From now through June 2013, participants are encouraged to shake off their calories in Zumba classes worldwide, and Zumba will donate the equivalent of the average amount of calories burned per class to Feeding America and WFP.

To take part participants must check into classes using the Zumba app, with each check-in worth 750 calories.

Zumba pays US$0.14 (€0.11, £0.9) to the food charities for each check-in and will pay for all check-ins up to a cap of US$1m (€767,000, £647,000).

During the three-month campaign, Zumba Fitness is challenging the world to donate 2.6bn calories that will equate to around 3.5m meals toward hunger-relief efforts.

Alberto Perlman , co-founder and CEO of Zumba Fitness said: "Hunger is one of the world's greatest solvable problems, while many fight to burn calories, others suffer from hunger.

“The Zumba network is in a unique position to tip the scales in the right direction, and we expect to touch millions of lives.”

Leah Ray, vice president, corporate partnerships at Feeding America added: "With more than 50 million Americans struggling with hunger, food insecurity remains at record highs. Everyone can do something to help solve hunger.”

To learn more about "The Great Calorie Drive," visit greatcaloriedrive.com.