Choose an appropriate word that fits the blank 200.

At blank 200, ‘widespread’ is the correct word. For modern humans, three meals a day may seem to be the ideal formula for being healthy and wise. Yet, evolutionarily speaking, our bodies are adapted to occasional periods of fasting, as a constant supply of food was not always guaranteed. Fasting is certainly a part of our heritage, being prevalent in a range of cultures – from Ekadashi to Karwa Chauth among Hindus; the Yom Kippur for Jews, Paryushana among Jains, Ramzan among Muslims, the Christian period of Lent, and so on. One wonders if widespread prevalence points to health benefits in addition to the discipline of the mind.