One in Three (32%) Parents Says Their Child Doesn't Always Eat Breakfast Without a Struggle

Toronto, ON - Getting their children to start off the day on the right foot is a struggle for many parents, with a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Nutella revealing that 9% say `it's a struggle to get their child to eat breakfast', 21% saying that `sometimes they eat breakfast and sometime they don't', and a further 2% indicating that their child simply `doesn't eat breakfast'.

While getting their children to eat breakfast isn't a walk in the park for one in three (32%) Canadians, fully nine in ten (90%) indicate that breakfast is `very important' to their child's daily health, including their physical and mental performance and emotion state'. Moreover, 9% `somewhat agree' that this is the case, while just 1% says it's `not very important'.

While 66% of parents say their child does eat breakfast every morning, 34% say their child doesn't always do so. Reasons for not doing so include being too rushed in the morning (19%), not liking to eat breakfast (15%) or even the cost of food (1%).

Parents see a wide-range of benefits that are derived form eating a healthy breakfast in the morning. One in three (35%) says the most important reason for their child to consume breakfast includes giving them the required energy to think and do for the day, while others say the primary benefit is kick-starting metabolism (5%), to boost the immune system (1%), or simply to help them wake up (1%). Six in ten (58%) believe that all of these benefits are equally important.

These are the findings of a poll conducted on behalf of Nutella from March 31 - April 3, 2009. This online survey of 1754 Canadian parents with children still in the household was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results of this poll are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls, however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had the entire adult population of Canadian parents been polled.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2008, Ipsos generated global revenues of e979.3 million ($1.34 billion U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

Ipsos, listed on the Eurolist of Euronext - Comp B, is part of SBF 120 and the Mid-100 Index, adheres to the Next Prime segment and is eligible to the Deferred Settlement System. Isin FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP