Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 18
1 to speculate that a diet with modest amounts of fat, i.e.
2 at 15 to 20 percent of energy, would avoid problems of
3 energy deficiency without unduly advancing the hazards of
4 obesity and other chronic diseases occurring with an
5 average dietary fat content of 30 percent of energy. Day
6 29, page 21.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is the reference, 29, 21?
9
10 MS. STEEL: Yes. He agreed that the occurrence of diabetes
11 within a community is influenced by a number of factors,
12 including dietary factors. That was day 29, page 23. He
13 commented that as the total fat content of the diet
14 increases an increased proportion of the population will
15 develop obesity with all its complications. Day 29, page
16 24. He accepted that deaths and disabilities should be
17 prevented by changes in diet and in other aspects of
18 lifestyle. That was day 29, page 32. He advocated the
19 prevention of obesity and protection of the cardiovascular
20 system as good reasons for the reduction of fat in the
21 diet. That is day 29, page 34.
22
23 There might be other points to raise with Professor Keene,
24 but I will move on to Geoffrey Cannon who stated that his
25 impression during the mid '80s was that the experts did
26 agree on the relationship between an industrialised diet
27 and western diseases, including heart attacks and colon
28 cancer. That was day 30, page 16 to 17. He supported his
29 contention by quoting Professor Doll in 1982. This is on
30 day 30, page 18. And by reference to the volume of
31 evidence on diet and cancer he referred to a data base that
32 has been set up containing in the region of 5,000 monitored
33 papers on the subject. Day 30, page 20.
34
35 He referred to conclusive statements published in the
36 States in 1988, or around that time, linking diet with
37 cancer and he believed that the standard of proof for that
38 statement would be beyond reasonable doubt. He said that
39 this standard would also be applied to recommendations
40 released by the World Health Organisation. That was on day
41 30, page 23. Mr. Cannon stated that the evidence on diet
42 and cancer is accepted in America by the medical
43 profession, by scientists, the government and society
44 generally. That was on day 30, page 26. He also said it
45 was also accepted in Europe and Scotland. That was day 30,
46 page 27. He stated that the UK government have accepted
47 the evidence of diet being linked to cardiovascular disease
48 but not the link to cancer, although there is, or was,
49 currently, I don't know what the situation is, a COMA
50 committee sitting on diet and cancer, and the reference for
51 this was page 26 -----
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We were told, were we not, when the witnesses
54 came back, that it is still in gestation form?
55
56 MS. STEEL: Anyway, Mr. Cannon concluded that the link between
57 cancer and diet is generally accepted by health
58 professionals and the Scientific Research Committee. Day
59 30, page 27.
60
