New Survey Reveals 90% Fret Over Kids` Diets, But Simple Steps Can Feed Good
Habits From the Start
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.–(Business Wire)–
Families face many challenges today in staying healthy. But you`d be
hard-pressed to find one that eats at moms more than this: getting family
members, especially children, to consume better, more healthful foods. In fact,
according to a survey conducted by Country Crock®, 90% of parents are concerned
about their children understanding the importance of healthy diet and exercise.

“With government initiatives and a new national focus aimed at improving family
health, the challenge is even greater to find ways to instill healthy habits in
family members starting at a young age,” said Ruth Carey, RD, CCSD and family
nutritionist. “The key is making small, simple changes that add up to a hugely
positive impact on health and diet.”

The survey revealed a number of challenges parents face in getting their kids to
eat better foods.

* 69% of parents who want their families to eat a lot more healthy say they read
nutrition labels all or some of the time, and more than 3 out of 4 parents (86%)
are concerned about the amount of trans fat in their family`s food
* More than half of the concerned parents (51%) say that the rising cost of
healthy food choices is a deterrent for purchasing better options for their
family
* Picky eaters are a major hurdle among parents who are concerned about their
children understanding the importance of healthy diet and exercise; nearly half
(49%) find it challenging to get their kids to try new foods due to limited
preferences
* Outside pressures on children that encourage unhealthy eating (32%), and the
negative influence of advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods (34%) add
additional challenges for concerned parents to win the battle to serve better
food options

The great concern among parents over their kids` trans fat consumption and
eating healthy isn`t surprising. In fact, checking food labels for trans fat
continues to be common among Americans as reported by the International Food
Information Council Foundation`s 2009 Food & Health Survey, with 57% saying they
use the information on the Nutrition Facts panel in 2009 compared to 49% in
2006. It`s also a concern shared by many food manufacturers today, and joining
in this movement is Country Crock, which has completed the removal of partially
hydrogenated oils from it soft spread products, and now boasts 0g per serving.
Plus it still has the same great taste, contains essential vitamins A, D and E,
and has 70% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than butter1.

Nutritious Eating, from Toddlerhood to Teens to Adulthood

The survey also found that eating patterns developed as children are likely to
continue into adulthood. In fact, more than half of moms with children ages 5-12
(56%) are very concerned that their kids know about healthy diet and exercise
patterns. This concern doesn`t dissipate drastically even as kids grow and
become more independent, with 44% of parents still involved in ensuring healthy
eating and exercise habits translate into the teen years (13-17).

In addition:

* Parents are getting their kids involved in meal preparation from an early age
(54% of kids ages 5-12) as a guidance tool to better eating habits. They are
also actively teaching kids about the benefits of healthy eating at a young age
(66%, 5-12) and continuing these practices into the teen years (60%, 13-17)
* Good eating habits develop through years of teaching. More than half of
respondents` (51%) say that they eat more healthfully than their parents, and
51% expect their kids will eat even healthier than they do when they grow up
* Some 47% of moms are consciously avoiding ingredients that they know are bad
for their kids, but 94% of parents do agree that some fats are essential for a
healthy diet

So which fats, exactly, are essential? Simply put, they`re the fats that we
can`t live without. There are two types of fats the body can`t make; therefore
it`s important that they be part of a balanced diet. These essential fats are
omega-6 linoleic acid (omega-6 LA) and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3
ALA) polyunsaturated fatty acids – and they are found in every tub of Country
Crock, as well as other foods such as fish and walnuts2.

For more information, go to www.countrycrock.com.

Methodological Notes:

The “Country Crock Report on Food, Fitness and Families” Survey was conducted by
Wakefield Research (www.WakefieldResearch.com) among 1,000 moms, aged 18 years
old+ and with children ages 17 and younger, between March 26th and April 1st,
using an email invitation and an online survey. The following sub-groups have
been examined for this data addendum – moms who are concerned about their
children understanding the importance of healthy diet and exercise (N=899) and
moms who say their families need to eat a lot more healthfully (N=309).

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the
variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the
level of the percentages expressing the results. For the 1000 interviews
conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey
result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the
result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons
in the universe represented by the sample. For the additional sub-groups, margin
of error for moms who are concerned about their children understanding the
importance of healthy diet is plus or minus 3.27 percentage points and for moms
who say their families need to eat a lot more healthfully the margin of error is
plus or minus 5.58 percentage points. The “Growing Great Families” survey was
conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 mothers nationwide of children 17
and younger, between March 26 and April 1, 2010, using an email invitation and
an online survey.

About Unilever North America

Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good,
look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for
them and good for others. Each day, around the world, we serve over two billion
consumers. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad &
Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such
as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry`s, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country
Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann`s, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton,
Omo, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline.
All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group
of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live,
work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America -
generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009. For more information, visit
www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

1 Regular has 70 calories; Churn Style, 60 calories, and contain 7g of fat and
2g saturated fat; Light and Calcium Plus Vitamin D have 50 calories, contain 5g
of fat and 1.5 saturated fat. All Country Crock tubs have 0g trans fat per
serving. Country Crock is not a low-fat food. Butter has 100 calories, 11g of
fat and 7g saturated fat per serving.

2 Country Crock Regular: 400 mg Omega-3 ALA, 3000 mg Omega-6 LA; Country Crock
Light: 280 mg Omega-3 ALA, 2200 mg Omega-6 LA; Country Crock Calcium Plus
Vitamin D: 280 mg Omega-3 ALA, 2200 mg Omega-6 LA; Country Crock Churn Style:
400 mg Omega-3 ALA, 3000 mg Omega-6 LA; Country Crock Whipped Easy Squeeze: 500
mg Omega-3 ALA, 3900 mg Omega-6 LA. Choose a variety of fruits, vegetables,
whole grain fiber-rich foods, and fat-free or low-fat dairy.

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M Booth & Associates
Martha Cid, 212-539-3258
marthac@mbooth.com
or
Unilever
Christine Cea, 201-894-2596
christine.cea@unilever.com

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