Check out the following from BBC News 2 May 2007:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6614637.stmAn extract:... an international study commissioned by the British Council suggests urban populations are walking faster and faster, and putting their health in danger in the process.
Researchers in 35 city centres timed how long it took 70 people unencumbered by phones, shopping and companions to walk 60 feet.
Singapore came top of the table, followed by Copenhagen, Madrid and Guangzhou in China. London was outside the top 10 and overall speeds were 10% higher than the previous study in the early 1990s.
"The key conclusion is that the world is speeding up," says Professor Richard Wiseman, who headed the study.
CITIES WITH FASTEST WALKERS
1: Singapore
2: Copenhagen
3: Madrid
4: Guangzhou
5: Dublin
And in the UK:
12: London
20: Belfast
21: Edinburgh
32: Cardiff
"Pace around the world is 10% faster than ever before. That's not great for our health. As people speed up in their lives they are not eating properly, exercising or seeing friends and family. All these things can lead to all kinds of things, especially heart attacks."
People who walk fast are also more likely to speak and eat quickly, wear a watch and get impatient, he says. They don't like to sit still, sit in traffic or wait in queues.
The professor believes the increased pace of life is driven by technology and the way people are constantly in touch with each other. "We're just moving faster and faster and getting back to people as quickly as we can - and that's minutes and not hours. That's driving us to think everything has to happen now."
The correlation between walking speed and heart disease is very close, says Professor Wiseman. People can test their pace of life on his website,
quirkology, and he suggests those who generally find it difficult to wait, queue or sit still can ease their anxiety by listening to music or chatting.
