Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 38
1 Health Organisation said about it in a moment, if you want,
2 which plainly does not join the consensus ----- A. Could
3 I comment on that?
4
5 Q. Yes, of course.
6 A. There is -- in my experience, there is always a
7 problem where scientists meet politicians. The problem --
8 I mean, I use an example of the ozone layer. It is an
9 example to illustrate this point, that the scientists were
10 saying that CFC's destroy the ozone layer and wanted the
11 government to act. The government said, "There is no
12 evidence. There is not sufficient evidence to stop
13 producing CFC's that destroy the ozone layer". The people
14 -- the scientists keep saying, "We believe that there is a
15 strong amount of evidence that CFC's destroy the ozone
16 layer".
17
18 Governments and politicians only act when the proof is
19 there. If you want to prevent health problems, if you want
20 to prevent environmental problems, if you like, you have to
21 look at the evidence that there is and act on insufficient
22 evidence. If you always waited until there was sufficient
23 evidence before governments took any action, then I would
24 say that was irresponsible. A responsible government
25 looking at the evidence that there is on dietary fat and
26 cancers, I think -- it came into my training as a dietitian
27 which leads to State Registration, which is a national
28 qualification, that dietary fat is related to cancer and
29 other problems with a high fat diet are likely to lead to
30 cancer.
31
32 So, I think that just because the report says there is not
33 sufficient evidence, you might find in five years' time
34 that there is sufficient evidence. I know there are big
35 population studies going on.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is not what Mr. Rampton is putting to
38 you.
39
40 MR. RAMPTON: That is absolutely right. I cannot agree more.
41 A. Governments are very cautious about what they are
42 saying, that they are almost -----
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just listen very carefully to the question.
45 Whether or not all that is sound sense, it was not what
46 counsel actually asked you.
47
48 MR. RAMPTON: No. You see, I raised that because you said that
49 everybody makes propositions which you would advance which
50 is, in effect, that excessive dietary fat causes cancer.
51 Our government does not appear to agree with you, nor, if I
52 may suggest, does the World Health Organisation. I will
53 show you that in a minute.
54 A. I would have another interpretation of that paragraph.
55 "The panel concluded that there was currently insufficient
56 evidence on which to base a recommendation for a decrease
57 in fat intakes to prevent cancer, although an increase in
58 consumption of any fatty acids should not be encouraged."
59 I would not necessarily agree with that interpretation.
60
