McDonald's And... Pedometers? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

McDonald's And... Pedometers?

A 'step' in the right direction?

61
McDonald's And... Pedometers?

On any given day, an average of 1 in 3 American children will eat fast food, gaining around 40 percent of their daily calories from pizza, burgers, fries, etc. So, one would hope that with all of the calories, sodium and sugar that they intake, they would be active and otherwise completely healthy; it seems to be, though, that the opposite is true. With such an easy access to T.V., video games, cell phones, and more, “the outside world” can feel like it’s growing obsolete. Of course, there are things that attempt to get children up and out, such as the new obsession with Pokemon GO!, but what could be more influential to a child than a fitness toy in their happy meal?

Recently, fast-food chain McDonald’s has started handing out “Step-It!” toys in their kids meals in the U.S. and Canada. The toy is a wrist-watch that tracks activity level (much like the FitBit fitness tracker), with the assumed goal of inspiring the kids that receive them to be more active. When most people think “McDonald’s”, good health and fitness probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. However, this could be a move in the right direction, especially with the frighteningly high child obesity levels in America.

In fact, McDonald’s has been listening to its customer base with the addition of healthy options in their Happy Meals in 2011. Parents can choose from milk, apples, fruit juice and water for their children’s meal in place of French fries and a soft drink. Additionally, they can choose from an array of fruit and vegetables; a move that earned them approval from First Lady Michelle Obama who has been making strides in fighting childhood obesity since coming into office. McDonalds promised to promote healthy eating to children in fun ways through advertising utilizing messaging about nutrition. While there are healthier options in kids meals, like apples, yogurt and milk, the more popular options are the fries, nuggets and soda. Sales of healthy options for Happy Meals show that it’s still not the widespread hit they hoped it to be. The addition of the “Step-It!” fitness toy makes good on their promise to promote healthy eating options.

This type of fitness-promoting toy being handed out in fast food happy meals could potentially begin to turn the obesity epidemic, if the promotion is widespread and long-lasting. McDonalds chose the right time to launch the promotion as well, timing the release with the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics. With children watching the athletes many of them would want to be like the hero of their choice so the debut of the fitness toy could not have been better timed. Still if children don’t use the fitness toys, as well as eating healthy, then the step in the right direction will have not moved us forward.

Unfortunately, the “Step-It!” promotion was cut short; ending earlier this week after a mother noticed burns on her child’s wrist after wearing the watch for only a few minutes. The watch was battery powered, and it looked as though the batteries had over heated, causing the burns to her son’s wrist. There won’t be a lawsuit, and the child is okay, but to be safe, McDonald’s has recalled the toys, effectively ending the promotion of them.

While this promotion had its flaws, the idea is spectacular. The concept of offering healthier choices, and handing out toys that promote health and activity is a wonderful idea. The fast-food chain Wendy’s has been in on this idea for a while, offering grilled chicken wraps, apples, and milk or organic fruit juice in their kids meals, as well as a re-occurring toy promotion that gives “outdoor games”, such as capture the flag or kick the can. Burger King has been offering healthy options for kids since 2007 offering organic apple sauce, low-fat milk and fresh apple fries to children. However, they do not offer fitness promoting toys in their kids meals.

While the execution of the idea of offering toys that promote fitness needs to go more smoothly, these big companies have a large influence on the children they serve, and could potentially help to curve the childhood obesity epidemic- one happy meal at a time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14145
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2799
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1688
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments