Waddling down to the chippie of life.

If we all adjusted our diet and lifestyle according to the findings of every new research project the resulting stress would probably far outweigh any benefits that we might get. The latest media  frenzy is caused by Cambridge University research that suggests that lack of exercise causes twice the number of deaths as does obesity. There are a number of interesting issues here but one thing that struck me immediately was all the emphasis on the benefits of a daily twenty minute walk. I find it difficult to get my head round the idea of not walking for at least twenty minutes every day but such is the sedentary nature of many peoples lives that I suppose walking down to the shops now requires an almost Olympian effort.
There was a time when only the rich had any choice about taking exercise. For the majority just the effort of putting bread on the table was exercise enough and the problem was that by the time that people reached retirement age they were simply worn out. Putting bread on the table is still a struggle for many but not a physical struggle. Exercise in this country is now very much a matter of choice.
But why this obsession with longevity? Surely it's the quality of life that matters not the length.  For me exercise is a real pleasure but that's just me and for others the idea of voluntarily getting out of breath or working up a sweat is just too boring for words. So be it. We all have to die of something.