Assuming that not everybody in that situation [1] a) is American b) is fat c) has enough 'cheap crap' to sell to make up the difference, a much more achievable solution is "park/get off public transport half a mile earlier than you normally do and walk the difference". If you can't afford the extra 10 minutes out of bed, or the parking bit is impractical, take 15 minutes out of your lunch break and walk around. Bonus in each case is you get to discover more about the local area in which you work.
[1] speaking as a Londoner, living in a modest suburban flat about an hour's journey from where I work, your suggestion is financially impractical, even if I sold all my possessions. Even if it were practical, I'm sure you recognise that not everyone could do this simultaneously.
I do recognise that not everyone is in a situation where they could move closer to work. But I'm guessing that a good proportion of people are. There are outliers, such as London.
Let's not forget - HN is not representative of the general population.
[1] speaking as a Londoner, living in a modest suburban flat about an hour's journey from where I work, your suggestion is financially impractical, even if I sold all my possessions. Even if it were practical, I'm sure you recognise that not everyone could do this simultaneously.