Most Mothers In Ontario (77%) Feel "Starved For Energy"

Toronto, ON - According to a newly released survey conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Egg Farmers of Ontario, most mothers in Ontario (77%) often feel like they are "starved for energy". A statistic which can probably be largely attributed to the fact that a strong majority of mothers (86%) agree that today's mothers "have more demands on their time than they have in the past". Further, half of mothers (49%) don't feel they get an adequate amount of sleep on most nights.

So, what are mothers in Ontario doing in order to keep up with these demanding times? Half (47%) say that when they need an energy boost, they "have a snack or meal that will help give them energy", while 36% "take a nap" and 12% "exercise for 30 minutes to an hour".

When it comes to a potential energy-boosting snack, essentially all mothers are in agreement that:

• "Eggs are an excellent source of protein" (99%);
• "Eggs are a healthy way to start the day" (97%);
• "The protein in eggs provides energy" (95%);
• "Eggs can be eaten at any meal" (95%); and
• "Eggs are a source of long-lasting energy" (87%).

And if today's mothers had more energy, good majorities would:

• "Do more things for my family" (82%);
• "Exercise more often" (77%);
• "Do something for myself like go back to school or pursue a hobby" (69%); and
• "Plan more nutritious meals for my family" (60%).

Not surprisingly, mothers are self-less about their own energy, as most (74%) agree that if they had more energy, they would be likely to do more things for their family than to take time for themselves.

The survey paints a picture of the average mother in Ontario:

• Average age of 38;
• Get to exercise/work-out 2.3 times, on average, per week;
• Eats out at a restaurant less than once a week (average of 0.7/week); and
• Takes time for themselves to relax or pursue a hobby 2.4 times, on average, a week.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for the Egg Farmers of Ontario from April 20th to April 24th, 2006. For the survey, a representative sample of 1087 mothers in Ontario were interviewed via an on-line survey vehicle. For the purposes of this study, mothers were defined as those who have a child less than 18 years of age living in their home. The sample used in this study has been weighted according to Census data to accurately reflect the population of mothers in Ontario. With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had this entire population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population. Please open the attached PDF to view the factum and detailed tables.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

Paul Orovan
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900