Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 32


     
     1        lung cancer but does not always, even though the links are
     2        quite well established, and therefore there was a natural
     3        conservative nature which tended towards using words such
     4        as 'may' or 'might' when describing such links and, in
     5        particular, when describing the links between fat and
     6        cancer.  That was day 35, page 29 and day 35, page 68.
     7        Dr. Barnard reinforced his-----
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Why do you not sit down if you want to?  If
    10        you positively don't want to sit down, don't.  But as long
    11        as I can hear you, as I said the other day, it does not
    12        matter whether you are sitting down or standing up.  When
    13        you are questioning a witness it is only courteous.
    14
    15   MS. STEEL:   I did not hear you say that, otherwise I might have
    16        sat down a bit earlier.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I did say it.
    19
    20   MS. STEEL:   Thank you.  Dr. Barnard reinforced his belief that
    21        by the mid '80s links had been established of a causal
    22        nature between diet and cancer, which were accepted by the
    23        great, sort of, majority of researchers.  Day 35, page 30.
    24        He was referred during cross-examination to an article by
    25        Dr. Willet, who had discounted the link between fat and
    26        breast cancer, and Dr. Barnard accepted that some people in
    27        the United States...  Well, sorry, Dr. Barnard said that
    28        some people in the United States think that Dr. Willet is
    29        so controversial that he should be disregarded.  That was
    30        day 35, page 38.  But he agreed that in Dr. Willet's view
    31        dietary changes are more likely to affect the incidence of
    32        colon cancer.  Day 35, page 39.
    33
    34        When he was asked about the consumption of a high fat diet
    35        and the incidence of breast cancer, Dr. Barnard said that a
    36        high fat diet encourages obesity and increases body weight,
    37        and that fat tissue encourages the production of oestrogen
    38        and is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
    39        Day 35, page 47.  Dr. Barnard considered that Dr. Willet
    40        held a minority view.  That was on day 35, page 60.
    41
    42        Dr. Barnard reiterated that it was agreed that there was an
    43        association between diet and cancer and that the
    44        association was considered to be viewed to be causal even
    45        though it was not a definitely proven cause and effect
    46        situation.  That was day 36, page 24.
    47
    48        During re-examination of Dr. Barnard, he highlighted a
    49        quote from the Toniolo document, which stated that the
    50        reduction in the consumption of total fat to under 30
    51        percent and of saturated fat to less than 10 percent, or of
    52        animal proteins to less than six percent, may be strongly
    53        protective against cancer.  Day 36, page 48.  The Willet
    54        review article did acknowledge that diet was implicated as
    55        a causative factor in breast and colon cancer, but the
    56        evidence is stronger for colon cancer.  That was day 36,
    57        page 51.
    58
    59        Commenting on the World Health Organisation report in 1990,
    60        Dr. Barnard stated that they are saying that there was

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