Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 19


     
     1        He referred to the European Union document 'Avoiding
     2        Cancer', the European code, on day 30, page 27, and that
     3        code, you may remember, said...  Well, Europe against
     4        Cancer was a campaign to encourage people to take action to
     5        reduce the number of deaths from cancer by 15 percent, and
     6        countries in the European Community are publicising a
     7        10-point code based on current knowledge about prevention
     8        and early detection.  One of the 10 points, which are
     9        entitled 'Firm Guidelines', was that people should cut down
    10        on fatty foods, and states it is well known...  Sorry, "It
    11        is known that in western countries where people usually eat
    12        a lot of meat, butter and other dairy products there is a
    13        higher risk of breast and bowel cancer, as well as other
    14        diseases like coronary heart disease.  A sensible diet can
    15        reduce this risk."
    16
    17        It also referred to "eat plenty of fresh fruit and
    18        vegetables and other foods containing fibre."  It talks
    19        about the protective effect of vitamins A and C and fibre,
    20        and it said, "Food containing fibre may actually protect
    21        against cancer of the bowel."
    22
    23        Obviously, we would say that if the European Community is
    24        putting out leaflets on avoiding cutting down on your risk
    25        of cancer with the intention of cutting cancer deaths it
    26        must be because they consider there is a very real risk
    27        from that type of diet.  If people do cut down on those
    28        types of foods then the incidence of deaths from cancer
    29        will decrease.
    30
    31        In his statement, Mr. Cannon referred to the
    32        recommendations by all bodies concerned with cancer to be
    33        consistent with those on heart disease, the advice being to
    34        cut down on fat and, in particular, saturated fat.  Day 30,
    35        page 29.  Mr. Cannon agreed that if McDonald's serve a
    36        significant proportion of the diet to individuals then they
    37        contribute to the general risk.  That was day 30, pages 36
    38        to 37.
    39
    40   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Just pause a moment, please.  (Pause).
    41
    42   MS. STEEL:   I think he did make the general point that whatever
    43        the level of their contribution it was a negative
    44        contribution.  Mr. Cannon agreed that foods high in fat
    45        sugar or salt, or a combination, could reasonably be
    46        considered as unhealthy.  Day 30, page 40.  Agreeing with a
    47        quote from Professor Doll, Mr. Cannon stated that as early
    48        as 1982 there was worldwide opinion that the type of diet
    49        least likely to cause disease would consist of a proportion
    50        of calories in wholegrain cereals, vegetables and fruit.
    51        That was day 30, page 41.
    52
    53        Mr. Cannon agreed with the statement that all authoritative
    54        reports -- sorry, all authoritative reports have come to
    55        the conclusion that there is a causal link between diet and
    56        breast and colon cancer and that no reports have said to
    57        the contrary.  That was day 30, page 44.
    58
    59        When going through his analysis of a hundred reports, he
    60        quoted the following statistics:  that eighty five reports

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