Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 13


     
     1        to high blood pressure which in turn causes heart disease
     2        and/strokes."   You have quoted all those.  Is that
     3        something that you agree with by quoting it?
     4        A.   By quoting it is illustrating the consensus advice
     5        which is given by the Education Authority.  There is
     6        scientific evidence which is more strongly promoting the
     7        sugar and salts and the problems, and the risk of heart
     8        disease that I am aware of but, absolutely, I agree with
     9        it.  Absolutely, yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Right.
    12
    13        "The Government Food Sense leaflet published by MAFF
    14        states that 'the amount of salt most of us eat can
    15        encourage high blood pressure.  This increases the risk of
    16        heart and kidney disease or/strokes."
    17
    18             Both of those pamphlets have actually been referred to
    19        previously, so I take it we do not need to get them out.
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    22
    23   MS. STEEL:  "Most people involved in health education know that
    24        a typical McDonald's meal does not comply with current
    25        healthy eating recommendations and that is why their
    26        literature states that the two golden rules for healthy
    27        eating are, 'variety' and 'moderation' - vague terms which
    28        do not help the average person choose a health promoting
    29        diet."
    30
    31             What is your view on a balanced -- or on balance and
    32        moderation or healthy meals?  Where the emphasis should be?
    33        A.   My experience is it is very difficult to get people to
    34        change their way of eating and to give clear advice to
    35        people you need to define for them what they should and
    36        should not be eating and what they should be avoiding, and
    37        I put McDonald's food in the category of food they should
    38        be avoiding to have a health promoting diet.
    39
    40   Q.   Right.  You have still got the NACNE Report there?
    41        A.   Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   If you turn to page 14 of that document it talks about the
    44        balanced diet.  And if you just want to read through that
    45        for a moment.  (Pause) Down to the paragraph 3.1.  If you
    46        just read all of paragraph 3.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Which page is that?
    49
    50   MS. STEEL:   Page 14.
    51        A.   I am more or less familiar with that now.
    52 
    53   MS. STEEL:   Right.  I mean, it sets out how the term 'balanced
    54        diet' came about and the thinking behind that, being with
    55        regard to, at that time, at the time the idea came about,
    56        there being deficiencies in vitamins and minerals and so
    57        on, and about a third of the way through the second
    58        paragraph, it says:
    59
    60        "These deficiencies are no longer the major nutritional

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