"It has been a sobering experience to spend time with people in the less developed regions of the world who can't afford the privilege of a comfy modern life. Ordinary people who routinely walk 5, 10 miles to work every day. In heat, rain, cold, sandstorms, whatever. Frail old ladies carrying huge burdens that would break the back of any fitness buff working out at an air-conditioned gym."

I AGREE with you 100% !!!!
It was a wake-up call for me when I saw how much WALKING people do in Africa. To discover that sick people were walking 10-15 miles just to get to a medical clinic ... it was one of those "life changing" experiences!! Especially when I realized that half the time when the sick people reached the clinic - there wasn't even any medicine for them.

We do tend to act as if "walking" is some kind of burden that is thrust upon us ... in the Western world. My own conclusion, from seeing people in the "underdeveloped countries" was that long-distance walking was the SINGLE BEST thing that they were doing ... to keep their bodies strong ... to eliminate a LOT of problems caused by dietary imbalances ... and to LENGTHEN their lifespans.

HOW ODD that we will pay large sums of money in America ... to buy extraneous fitness equipment (home gyms that we only use occasionally), OR join organizations like Jenny Craig, OR get medical treatments for illnesses caused by over-consumption of food.

All we need to do ... IS WALK!

Pete