> This is at best a huge exaggeration. For one thing, roofing is not a 50-year career. If you know any 70 year old roofers, they've either been retired or moved on to other things decades ago - the toll that roofing takes on a body makes it a 10-15 year career at best.

The person who taught me how to lay asphalt shingles 20 years ago has now been doing it around 50 years. I know a number of roofers who have been doing it 20 to 25 years. The toll on the body probably isn't as bad as you think.