Day 032 - 06 Oct 94 - Page 57


     
     1
     2   Q.   Do you know Professor Verner Wheelock?
     3        A.  I have met him.
     4
     5   Q.   Do you know Professor Michael Crawford?
     6        A.  I have met him.
     7
     8   Q.   Can you please pick up the pink bundle VI and turn,
     9        please, to tab 6?  It is headed "Nutrition", I think.
    10        A.  Tab?
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  6.
    13
    14   MR. RAMPTON:  Before I give you a page reference, tell me a
    15        little bit more of what you know about the British
    16        Nutrition Foundation, please, Dr. Lobstein.  You say it is
    17        funded by the industry?
    18        A.  Largely funded by the industry.
    19
    20   Q.   But is not actually an industry body?
    21        A.  But is not actually an industry body, that is correct.
    22
    23   Q.   Must I preface my questions with this, that you regard it
    24        as a creature, cats paw or pawn of the food industry?
    25        A.  I would say that it might be muted when it comes to
    26        making criticisms of food the industry.
    27
    28   Q.   Please turn to page 13 of tab 6 in this volume.  This is
    29        part of McDonald's document.  I can tell you this is
    30        published in 1989.  There is a comment attributed to
    31        Professor Conning of the British Nutrition Foundation
    32        which this is.  Do you have it?
    33        A.  Yes.
    34
    35   Q.   "These arguments (against fastfoods) use lack of balance
    36        to dramatise a point that would be seen instantly to be
    37        ludicrous if presented reasonably.  No one in their right
    38        mind would live exclusively on sausages or hamburgers or
    39        meat pies (or sweets or crisps) but the arguments are
    40        presented as if they would".
    41
    42        My question is this, Dr. Lobstein:  Do you accept that the
    43        key to this whole question is the frequency with which
    44        people consume foods which you stigmatize as being bad or
    45        unhealthy?
    46        A.  Not entirely.  I would say there is a responsibility,
    47        even if foods are not being eaten very frequently, but
    48        clearly if foods are being eaten frequently and perhaps
    49        promoted heavily, then there is even greater
    50        responsibility on the part of the manufacturer or the 
    51        promoter to ensure that that food is of good value and 
    52        nutritious. 
    53
    54   Q.   Tell me what you mean by "frequently", please?
    55        A.  What you have to look at, I think, is particularly the
    56        overall balance of the diet and the way in which various
    57        influences can impact on changing that diet.  I would say
    58        if people are increasingly eating fast foods, then this is
    59        a tendency that has to be taken seriously.  So we are
    60        talking about relative changes and trends and attempting

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