Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 20
1 because if, at the end of the day, you want to argue about
2 what weight I attach to Dr. Arnott's evidence then you have
3 his answers and you can refer to other evidence and other
4 publications and invite me to whatever conclusion you will
5 so far as that is concerned, but that is the context in
6 which I see this particular line of cross-examination.
7
8 MS. STEEL: OK. When you talk in your second paragraph about:
9
10 "The other features associated with life in an affluent
11 country, including lifestyle, may be more important than
12 diet", that is something that is under investigation, is
13 it? That is not definite or conclusively proved at this
14 stage?
15 A. No, but if you look at people, for example, moving from
16 a less affluent to an affluent country, they do not only
17 change their diet, they change other things as well
18 frequently. For example, in affluent societies, you get
19 out of bed, go downstairs, go into your car, drive to work,
20 get out of your car and move to the office, and you sit in
21 your chair all day, go home in the evening, get into your
22 car and so on, whereas in days gone by or in other
23 countries people would walk or take much more exercise.
24
25 So, one factor -- all I was getting at was that you do not
26 just change your diet when you move, you know, to an
27 affluent country or live in an affluent country. There are
28 other aspects of lifestyle which may be important, such as,
29 for example, exercise, such as, for example, cigarette
30 smoking, and so on.
31
32 Q. I am not arguing that other factors maybe at play. I am
33 just trying to clarify that you are not saying there that
34 those are the factors and that we should disregard diet;
35 are you?
36 A. No. I have never suggested one should disregard diet.
37 Obviously that has to be taken into account. But what I am
38 saying is that diet is not the only factor which needs to
39 be taken into account; there are other things as well.
40
41 Q. But at this stage there is no conclusive evidence about any
42 of the other factors apart from smoking?
43 A. Certainly as far as heart disease and you are asking me
44 about things in general.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Stick to cancer for the moment unless
47 Ms. Steel wanted you to talk about smoking and heart
48 disease.
49
50 MS. STEEL: Are there any conclusive studies in relation to
51 cancer which show that it is other factors, other lifestyle
52 factors, that affect cancer?
53 A. Certainly, cigarette smoking affects cancer, exercise
54 affects cancer in the sense if you do not take exercise you
55 are much more likely to be obese.
56
57 Q. Again, it is not conclusively proven by any stretch of the
58 imagination that that would be down to lack of exercise
59 rather than the diet?
60 A. No.
