Pedometers have gone main stream. Once available chiefly at sporting goods stores and always when you join The Walking Example Group, you can now get them at Mickey D's, inside boxes of Special K and through some workplace promotions. I wouldn't be surprised to see them at the bottom of Crackerjacks. WE-GO couldn't be happier. We've been strapping pedometers on waistbands since our inception and we are privileged to have, obviously, set the trend for the nation.

Back in March of '02, I wrote of the little clickers, "Pedometers are nice to you; they positively reinforce your efforts, literally with every step." Unlike "dieting," that figuratively whacks you across the knuckles for every mis-bite. Pedometers encourage you to be pro-active about our modern challenge of balancing too many available calories and too few activity opportunities. For example, if you're short of 10, 000 steps at 5 p.m., you can still get up and do something about it. On the other hand, if by 5 p.m. you've eaten practically everything that wasn't moving or locked up, you've pretty much blown the day. It's easier to focus your efforts on taking action than micro-managing everything you swallow.

There was a fascinating study done comparing the number of steps the average American takes a day with the number taken by the Amish. The American average is between 3000 and 5000 steps for men or women. The average Amish man takes between 18,000-19,000 steps, the average Amish woman between 14,000-15,000 steps. Not surprisingly, the rate of obesity amongst the Amish is a tiny four per cent. The American average is considerably higher, with almost two-thirds of us overweight or obese.

If you've ever had the pleasure of sitting down to an Amish table you know that there isn't a Slim fast, no-carb, sugar-free anything served. There are ample amounts of meat, dairy, garden vegetables, bread, noodles, and refined sugar. Hmmm ... lots of steps + many foods = low incidence of obesity. C'mon folks, this isn't rocket science. Keep moving and eat a variety of real foods to nourish your body. (Notice "nourish your body," as opposed to food used to mend a broken heart, salve a bruised ego, take revenge on your boss or any of the plethora of emotional conditions that have us use the refrigerator as comfort.)

Not noted in the study is the amount of upper body work the Amish do in the form of plowing, building, animal tending, laundry, growing and preparing food, cleaning- you get the picture. Take electricity and automobiles out of your life and see how much more physical you become.

Not that I anticipate Americans giving up their cars or light switches, but we could certainly take a cue from the Amish amongst us. In our convenient, fast-paced modern life, there are still opportunities to break a sweat, make muscles satisfyingly sore, go to bed physically tired and accomplish a few things along the way.

We can use a nineteenth century antidote to some twenty-first century ills.

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) a non-profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communtities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.