McDonald's Announces 'Step with It!'™ Expansion

McDonald's Restaurants today announced the expansion of a successful program designed to encourage families to incorporate physical fitness into their daily lives, one step at a time. The program, "Step With It!"™, developed by The Coca-Cola Company, features "stepometers" -- small pedometers that track the number of steps taken in a typical day and encourages participants to increase their daily walking to maintain good health. "Step With It!"™ also includes educational guidelines and suggestions on how to increase physical activity.

This initiative expands upon Coca-Cola's successful program for middle school children which was developed in coordination with The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and The President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program. Now, through the participation of McDonald's restaurants around the world, "Step With It!"™ will be expanded to reach millions of consumers, young and old. The "Step With It!"™ program is part of McDonald's recently announced "Healthy Lifestyles" activities designed to help people lead balanced and healthy lifestyles through informed menu choice and variety, and through education and the promotion of physical activity.

In addition to pedometers and guidelines, the expanded program also will include educational outreach and community extensions through McDonald's restaurants. The program will be piloted this fall in the U.S. with expansion to other McDonald's markets around the world in 2004.

"McDonald's serves more than 46 million customers each day worldwide," explained Ken Barun, McDonald's Corporation vice president who leads McDonald's "Healthy Lifestyles" activities. "This reach provides a strong opportunity to help educate people about the important role physical activity plays in their overall health, and is consistent with the leadership and direction put forth by Tommy Thompson, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Our goal with "Step With It!"™ is to make physical activity fun and easy for everyone."

McDonald's is the world's leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 local McDonald's restaurants serving 46 million customers each day in more than 100 countries.

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SOURCE: McDonald's

CONTACT: Bridget Coffing, +1-630-623-6263, or Anna Rozenich,
+1-630-623-7316, both of McDonald's

Web site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/