Day 298 - 11 Nov 96 - Page 40
1 their advertising. That was on page 17, line 11.
2
3 There was reference to the figures given in the report for
4 lowering the sodium intake, which would result in a
5 lowering of blood pressure. The report stated
6 that: "Extensive data from prospective population studies
7 indicated that such improvements in average systolic levels
8 could substantially reduce rates of major cardiovascular
9 diseases and mortality from all causes."
10
11 Obviously, if you can substantially reduce rates of major
12 cardiovascular diseases and mortality rates, then if you do
13 not make those reductions in sodium intake, then you are
14 leading to the very real risk that people will die from
15 such diseases or suffer from such diseases. That was page
16 17, line 20.
17
18 Then the figures went on and became more specific -- and
19 I think this was around about line 49 -- that even a modest
20 change in average blood pressure could have important
21 effects, that, at aged 55, the blood pressure difference
22 for 100 millimols per 24 hour sodium difference is about 10
23 millimetres HG systolic or 5 millimetres HG diastolic, and
24 that this was associated with 34 percent difference in
25 mortality from stroke and a 21 percent difference in
26 mortality from heart disease; and the report said that
27 excess dietary salt is a serious public health hazard. So,
28 clearly, that has got to be a very real risk.
29
30 Then we asked Miss Brophy about the meanings that you had
31 ruled on, and she said, on page 23, line 46, that if you
32 have an unhealthy diet then you would have a very real risk
33 that you could suffer from cancer of the breast or bowel or
34 heart disease as a result.
35
36 She went on to say that she considered that if there was
37 not a very real risk, then she would not have the job that
38 she has; that she was employed in the NHS as part of --
39 well, she was employed as part of the NHS to give people
40 information -- health professionals -- information on diet
41 and disease for the public -- sorry, for further
42 distribution to the public. In her view, large numbers of
43 people would obviously be affected; otherwise, why would
44 the government want to promote a healthy diet; and that the
45 government wanted to promote a healthy diet partly because
46 of good health in itself, but also because it would save
47 the NHS considerable amounts of money if the population was
48 healthier.
49
50 Finally, she said that there were -----
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Was that the same reference, page 22?
53
54 MS. STEEL: Page 23. It is all on page 23. She said that
55 there were large numbers of the population for whom there
56 was a real risk, or there is a real risk.
57
58 We asked her to comment on the statement in McDonald's own
59 pamphlet which asserted that "every time you eat at
60 McDonald's, you would be eating good, nutritious food".
