Fat man' ends US walking journey
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 11:40 
Steve Vaught recorded his thoughts and experiences on a website, entitled The Fat Man Walking, drawing the attention of the media and supporters worldwide.
The 40-year-old, who weighed almost 30 stone (190kg) when he left San Diego, lost just over seven stone (45kg). He said at the end of his trip he had found that being happier was the secret to being thinner.
Mr Vaught now plans to publish a book about his story, which has also attracted the attention of documentary film makers. His website has attracted hundreds of thousands of hits and tens of thousands of people have e-mailed him.
Mr Vaught's 4,800km (3,000-mile) journey ended in a blaze of publicity, surrounded by media crews as he walked across the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan. Before leaving for a hotel, he told reporters he looked forward to putting on a new pair of socks. He reportedly got through 15 pairs of shoes, 30 pairs of socks and six rucksacks over the course of his journey. 'Not a hero' Mr Vaught said he did not keep count of exactly how far he had walked or how much he had eaten along the way. "This is not about obsessing about numbers, or times, or dates, or miles," he told the Associated Press news agency.
"It's just about going on a walk and sort of having time to get things straight."
The happily-married father-of-two became depressed and started over-eating after he was involved in a car crash that left two people dead.
The eating disorder transformed the formerly fit US soldier into a man so overweight he could barely walk a few metres without becoming breathless. "I'm not trying to be a hero or an icon to anyone," he told the BBC in March.
"I'm just an ordinary guy, trying to take control of my life and figure out where it went awry." Link
What Route is Steve Vaught Taking Across the USA?: Steve Vaught began his The Fat Man Walking route in Oceanside, California. His goal is to reach New York City. The route goes from California through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
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PS: Is there a Tanuki around?