African-Americans plan to take over the Mall in Washington on Saturday, not for civil rights, but to fight obesity.

The tone of the gathering on the Mall will be more pep rally than demonstration, reports The Washington Post, the goal more to inspire than incite. But the 50 Million Pound Challenge is calling for nothing less than action: The extra weight has got to go.

"The numbers are unimaginable," said the campaign's founder and leader, Ian Smith, a prominent black physician, author and television commentator who wants the issue taken up on a national scale. "It's not just [an individual's] problem. It's a problem for all of us."

Check out the full story and head over to http://www.50millionpounds.com for a personal weight tracker, diet tips and healthy, culturally sensitive recipes.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com