McDonald’s is taking the Step-It fitness trackers off its Happy Meals due to reports on skin irritations caused by the product, a statement sent to CNN says.
Terri Hickey, a spokesperson for the fast food giant, says,
We have taken this swift and voluntary step after receiving limited reports of potential skin irritations that may be associated from wearing the band.
She adds, “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers, and we are fully investigating this issue.”
The exact number of reports, or persons affected by the bands, was not clear.
A Facebook user from Arkansas, Casey Collyar, posted a status describing how her child was burned a few minutes after playing with the toy that came with the Happy Meal. Her post has since been shared over a hundred thousand times.
The activity trackers, available in six bright colors, had already been distributed and were to remain in stores across the US and Canada for four more weeks. The tracker is a pedometer with a plastic strap, worn on the wrist to measure the number of steps its wearer takes.
An ad for the video showed two girls trying to increase the number of steps on their trackers by doing different activities.
The McDonald’s fitness trackers started discussions on whether they actually helped encourage healthier lifestyles among kids or just served as another marketing ploy.
There have been studies on the effectiveness of fitness trackers in getting children and teenagers moving, saying that such devices tapped into people’s — especially children’s — competitive natures.
Other experts are not so sure, though, with some skeptics saying that these devices are only good for short-term results and might divert from the importance of proper nutrition.
McDonald’s is no stranger to controversies over the nutritional value of its food. In recent years, the company has made considerable efforts to improve its food quality, such as removing preservatives from its chicken nuggets and introducing the Go-Gurt yogurt.
