Wednesday, May 29, 2002

National Survey Reveals the Skinny on What Moms Really Want

What does Mom really want? Here's a hint: it's not a box of chocolates.

A new national survey shows that Mom would prefer the kind of gift that money can't buy like help with weight loss instead of traditional gifts like chocolate. In fact, more than twice as many moms would rather have thin thighs than chocolate.

When asked what celebrity mom they'd most like to resemble, most respondents chose Cindy Crawford, mother of two. Four out of 10 mothers said they'd like to fit into her size 6 jeans.

To find out what moms really want, EAS AdvantEdge surveyed 1,200 mothers and daughters from across the country. The truth is that three-fourths of American moms said they want to lose weight.

Here's the skinny:

Perfect 10. According to the AdvantEdge survey, most moms (62 percent) say they are hoping to lose at least 10 pounds nearly the same amount of chocolate Americans eat per person every year.

Speak up. Less than half of daughters (47 percent) think they would have the nerve to tell their mother she needs to shed a few pounds, yet 29 percent of daughters would want to start a fitness program with her. Twice as many moms would rather receive fitness advice from their daughter than their husband.

Inheritance plans. The majority of moms (81 percent) have a body part they don't want to pass along to their daughter. Likewise, daughters list Mom's abs and thighs as the top two body parts they hope not to inherit.

Hot Mamas. Sadly, only one out of 10 moms thinks they're a "hottie head-turner." While these moms say they may not look hot now, many of the moms (68 percent) believe they could look hot if they started a diet and fitness regimen.

On average, most moms consider themselves, well, average: 53 percent of moms rate themselves as an "average Jane." There are also moms who think they have a lot catching up to do: nearly one in four says they're a "needs improvement Nellie."

Celebrity fitness tips

Even celebrity mothers can be surprised with that perfect "priceless" gift.

Supermodel Cindy Crawford recently became a super role model for her mom. With inspiration and support, Cindy helped her mom, Jenny Crawford-Moluf, lose 25 pounds and gain back confidence she'd lost long ago. Jenny now fits into Cindy's clothes.

"We always shared the same genes. Now we wear the same jeans," says Jenny, who adds that she's happy now to have one more thing in common with her daughter.

Summer is a great jumping-off point for a mother-daughter fitness program. So, how do you get started?

Cindy and Jenny offer their top three tips for getting and staying in shape:

Lose weight by eating more. Starvation diets don't work. The key is to eat smaller meals, more often. Aim for six meals per day: breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and light evening snack. Ensure that you adjust your portions. Use AdvantEdge bars and ready-to-drink shakes as one of your healthy on-the-go meals.

Plan for success. Keep a journal of what you eat, when you exercise and how you're feeling. Be honest. When you know what and when you want to eat, you're less likely to overindulge.

Create goals. Do you want to lose 10 pounds or run a 10K? Everyone will have a different fitness goal. Choose yours (be realistic) and continue to remind yourself that you're working toward something specific.

For more mother/daughter fitness tips from Cindy and Jenny, visit www.eas.com. AdvantEdge also offers free educational materials on exercise and nutrition online at eas.com and the 24-hour customer call center at (877) 971-0947.