360-lb. man begins cross-country walk

Gary Long of Fenton, Mo., has begun a cross-country walk aimed at losing half of his 360 pounds.

Long, 51, who started his 3,000-mile trek at the St. Louis arch, says he wants to call attention to obesity and trimming himself in the process. He expects it to take a year to complete his task.

"I will not quit until I walk beneath this arch again," Long declared to a small gathering. "It will be hard, but it's something I know I must do."

Plans call for about 13 to 18 miles per day heading for New York, mainly via old U.S. Highway 40, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said. He will double-back by airplane to Los Angeles, then head east for his last 1,900 miles.

He'll sleep by the road in a small tent, with one night a week in a motel, and keep in touch with his wife by cell phone.