The result, of course, is that we all suffer from guilt and creeping obesity. We feel we have to punish ourselves for our idleness by waddling red-faced round parks in the early morning, stepping endlessly onto a box and off again, and joining expensive health clubs to use instruments that will inflict pain and suffering on us. Meanwhile, the dole queues grow longer.
The cute little egg won't make anyone slimmer, or fitter, or create new jobs. But it is a step in the right direction. From a virtual pet, the virtual family, rose garden and nine-to-five employment are sure to follow.