Pediatricians Report An Average Of 26% Of Their 4 To 12 Year Old Patients Are Not Getting Adequate Calcium On A Daily Basis

Toronto, ON - According to a recent Ipsos-Reid/Nestle survey, Pediatricians estimate that a quarter of their 4 to 12 year old patients (26%) do not consume the daily recommended amount of milk products (according to the Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating). Virtually all (96%) recommend an eight-ounce glass of milk as the best source of calcium. Taste was mentioned by two-thirds (65%) of the Pediatricians polled as a possible reason for not consuming enough milk products, and allergies/lactose intolerance was mentioned by half of them (49%). Chocolate milk is perceived as more nutritionally beneficial than unsweetened fruit juice by 81%, primarily because of its high protein (58%) and calcium content (63%). Furthermore, 85% of Pediatricians would recommend chocolate milk to their patients as part of a balanced diet, upon hearing that it contains the same amount of sugar for an equal size serving of unsweetened fruit juice, while keeping all of the benefits of regular milk.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Nestle poll conducted between December 4th and December 17th, 2003. The telephone survey is based on a randomly selected sample of 100 Canadian Pediatricians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 9.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of Canadian Pediatricians been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. Regional quotas ensured that the distribution of respondents reflects the actual distribution of Pediatricians across Canada.

Pediatricians Estimate 26% Of 4 To 12 Year Old Patients Not Consuming Enough Milk Products

Pediatricians estimate that about a quarter of their 4 to 12 year old patients (26%), on average, does not consume 2 servings of milk products a day, as recommended by the Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Answers ranged from "None" (2%) to "90%" (1%). Respondents were also asked if they thought that the 4 to 12 year old patients who are not consuming enough milk products would consume more milk products if they were offered chocolate milk instead of regular milk. Most (86%) agreed, although relatively fewer Pediatricians (58%) stated they would recommend chocolate milk to these patients.

Taste Is The Primary Culprit (65%) Pediatricians were asked the reasons why their patients were not consuming enough milk products. The most commonly cited answer was "Don't like the taste" (65%), followed by "Have allergies/lactose intolerance" (49%), and "Parents don't provide" (33%). "They drink juice / fruit drinks instead" and "Poor eating habits (pop/junk food)" were mentioned by 19% and 18% of the respondents, respectively. "Lack of knowledge/information" was cited by 15% of respondents and "Economic reasons" by 11%.

81% Say Chocolate Milk More Nutritionally Beneficial Than Unsweetened Fruit Juice, Primarily Due To Calcium Content And Protein Content

Chocolate milk was perceived to be more nutritionally beneficial than unsweetened fruit juice by 81% of respondents. Fifteen percent believed that these products are equally nutritionally beneficial, while only 3% felt that unsweetened fruit juice is more nutritionally beneficial than chocolate milk. Among those who saw chocolate milk as more nutritionally beneficial than unsweetened fruit juice, the most cited reasons were "Calcium content" (63%) and "Protein content" (58%). "More vitamin D" and "Has some fat content" were mentioned by 32% and 31% of respondents, respectively. Other mentions included "Contains more nutrients" (11%), "Vitamin content" (10%), "More calories" (9%) and "Less sugar" (7%).

• Women were more likely than men to mention "Less sugar" (15% vs. 2%)

. 96% Recommend "8 Oz Glass Of Milk" As Best Source Of Calcium Pediatricians were asked to choose the item they would recommend to parents as the best source of calcium for 4 to 12 year olds. They had to choose from "An 8 oz glass of regular milk", "An 8 oz glass of calcium enriched fruit juice", "1 cup of broccoli" and "100 grams serving of almonds". The majority (96%) chose "an 8oz glass of regular milk", 2% opted for "an 9oz glass of calcium enriched fruit juice" and 1% chose "1 cup of broccoli".

Only 18% Are Aware Equal Size Servings Of Chocolate Milk And Unsweetened Fruit Juice Contain The Same Amount Of Sugar

Few Pediatricians are aware that with equal size servings, chocolate milk and unsweetened fruit juice contain the same amount of sugar. When asked which they thought contained more sugar, only 18% correctly answered "both equally". Among the remaining Pediatricians, 42% thought that chocolate milk contains more sugar, while 39% thought that unsweetened fruit juice contains more sugar. After being told that chocolate milk contains the same amount of sugar as unsweetened fruit juice, while having all of the benefits of regular milk, 85% of the doctors interviewed stated they would recommend chocolate milk to their patients as part of their balanced diet.

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:

Yola Zdanowicz
Vice-President
Ipsos Insight
(416) 324-2900