Can a blog by an overweight, depressed American introvert who reinvented himself as an Ironman and public speaker start a grassroots ampaign that leads to lasting lifestyle changes in a country known for excess?
The latest test, on June 22, gathered nearly 75 strangers in Washington, D.C. who finished an unofficial 5K (five-kilometer) race around the US capital's National Mall park.
And this was no ordinary congregation -- among the participants, they have lost a collective 1,350 pounds, quit smoking, changed careers, removed themselves from debt and ended drug and alcohol addictions.
It's only the early days of a 31-city summer tour to create a support network for people trying to reclaim their lives in a nation with well-documented weight and addiction problems.
After four hours, 3.1 miles and a bonding dinner, the D.C. runners left as friends.
They are members of the "Do Life" movement, an idea founder Ben Davis says is about using health and fitness to find happiness, connect with family and friends and start lifelong relationships.
Davis, 25, began the Tumblr blog "Ben Does Life" in December 2008 to document his weight loss.
Soon, he found that his ongoing transformation from 358-pound (162-kilogram) depressed introvert to 230-pound (104-kilogram) marathon runner, Ironman and public speaker had inspired thousands worldwide to change their lives.
Davis and other participants in the D.C. 5K event stressed, however, that "doing life" is a universal concept.
"Not everybody needs to lose 150 pounds," Davis said. "Some people have other addictions, other things in life that they're struggling with, and we found that in a lot of ways, you have to find a way to replace those areas of your life with something positive."
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