A video in which a McDonald's customer eats a hamburger and pedals an exercise bike, gained more than 30 million views and nearly 3 million likes on Ticktock, and then spread to other social networks.
Many online users thought the restaurant was trying to give customers a way to "work off" the calories they had gained and keep themselves in shape. Some people did not like the fact that McDonald's was demonizing its own products: they stated that people need the food for normal functioning and there was no need to "work it off".
Other users praised the initiative, believing that exercisers were an appropriate response to McDonald's being associated with unhealthy diets, and such a project could change established opinions about the brand.
After the negative comments, the fast-food restaurant issued an official statement stressing that these bikes are not exercisers at all, but special devices that help generate energy. Such an initiative is designed to help customers be more environmentally conscious and take care of the environment.
So far, this option is only being tested in two restaurants in China. The first exercise bikes were installed in the Guangdong region in September 2021.
"The bike generates electricity for gadgets, such as cell phones, and is part of McDonald's China Upcycle for Good," the statement said.
McDonald's is currently monitoring customer feedback to decide whether they should put the bikes in other restaurants across China.
"McDonald's is not the first fast-food chain to encourage customers to take care of the environment. In Finland, a local diesel fuel producer uses recycled cooking oil left over from french fries to produce renewable fuel.
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