Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 58
1
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Or at least have a new index under section
2 A. In other words, if the index to pink VI could be
redone with all the information on it would be a help.
3
MR. RAMPTON: Professor Wheelock, I would like you to go back,
4 please, to that leaflet, a copy of which I gave you a
moment ago, which as you appreciate is the subject matter
5 of this action, the black and white thing with, amongst
other things, "cancer" or "McCancer" as part of its
6 heading.
A. OK.
7
Q. I had stopped at the third line in the right-hand column
8 in middle section. At the end the parentheses "quite
irrelevant facts and figures", I think I had stopped
9 there. I asked you about that. Then it goes on: "The
mass produced hamburgers, chips, colas, milk shakes, etc.,
10 are a useful and nutritious part of any diet." That,
according to this leaflet, is what McDonald's try to
11 show.
12 In your opinion as a nutritionist, are the sorts of
products which are commonly eaten in McDonald's
13 restaurants capable of being a useful and nutritious part
of any diet?
14 A. Without question.
15 Q. Then the leaflet goes on: "What they do not make clear is
that a diet high" -- I stress the word "diet" of course,
16 we are not going to re-enter that territory for the 900th
time -- "a diet high in fat, sugar, animal products and
17 salt, sodium and low in fibre, vitamins and minerals".
Are McDonald's meals low in vitamins and minerals?
18 A. No.
19 Q. "... which describes an average McDonald's meal" -- and
again I stress the word "meal" without asking you to
20 comment on it. But here comes something I do want you to
comment on: "... is linked with cancers of the breast and
21 bowel and heart disease. This is accepted medical fact,
not a cranky theory. Every year in Britain heart disease
22 alone cause about 180,000 deaths." Professor Wheelock, as
a piece of nutritional advice to the readers of this
23 leaflet, given the headings and the cartoon to which
I draw your attention, are these statements valuable
24 pieces of nutritional advice?
A. In my view they are extremely distorted and
25 misleading.
26 Q. You can put that away, please. I want now to go back to
the anaemic school girls. I want to do so for two
27 reasons. When Ms. Steel cross-examined you a week ago
last Friday -----
28
MR. JUSTICE BELL: You have mentioned leaflets, Mr. Rampton.
29 When you opened the matter you said that Professor
Wheelock helped write leaflets or the leaflets.
30
MR. RAMPTON: I may have said something like that. Do you want
