Day 033 - 10 Oct 94 - Page 55


     
     1                            (Short Adjournment)
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is just a matter of precision.  If you
     4        are saying "it is believed that" it could be a limited
     5        number of researchers who believe that or who, rather,
     6        have promulgated that theory.  One does not judge things
     7        by counting heads; one would have to look at, if need be,
     8        the strength of the argument or it could mean it is
     9        generally believed.  What did you mean in that context?
    10        A.  In my reading of the literature both on the
    11        epidemiology of prostate cancer and in the effects of diet
    12        on testosterone levels, it does seem to be generally
    13        believed by the authors of research reports that a high
    14        fat diet does elevate testosterone levels which, in turn,
    15        is very likely to be the reason why high fat diets are
    16        associated with a high prevalence of prostate cancer.
    17
    18   MR. MORRIS:  Maybe when you use the phrase "it is believed
    19        that" as we go along we can say who exactly believed.
    20        Moving on to colon cancer, I am not sure if it is needed
    21        to -- I think you have dealt with the next paragraph.
    22        Yes, Professor Keen's point on not showing whether it was
    23        the high fat or the low fibre in the diet that was the
    24        causation, the point you have made there, would you like
    25        to say something about that?
    26        A.  My reading of Dr. Keen's statement was that diets that
    27        are very low in fibre are implicated in the causation of
    28        diabetes.
    29
    30   Q.   Inversely?
    31        A.  A fibre depleted diet, I mean a diet that is very low
    32        in fibre may encourage the development of diabetes.  If
    33        that is true, then that would be quite a valid criticism
    34        of meat and dairy products and food products that rely on
    35        meat and dairy or on products that rely on refined grains
    36        where the fibre is extracted and removed.  So, in other
    37        words, this would again establish a causal link between
    38        the low fibre diet and the causation of diabetes.
    39
    40   Q.   One thing I was going to ask you earlier, but I might as
    41        well do it now, you made a point somewhere in your first
    42        statement about a high fat diet -- I cannot remember
    43        exactly -- being habitual?
    44        A.  Yes.
    45
    46   Q.   Would you like to explain that point?
    47        A.  It is common experience, which has been confirmed by
    48        research reports, that not only does a person's diet tend
    49        to remain fairly constant over time, but that high fat
    50        foods, if they are associated with happy family events, 
    51        happy family gatherings or other rewarding circumstances, 
    52        that fatty foods can be habituating.  I do not mean to say 
    53        they are physically addicting, but simply that they tend
    54        to become part of the diet and to stay in the diet.  The
    55        implication would be that were children never to have
    56        exposure to high fat food, they may not develop a taste
    57        for them.
    58
    59   Q.   So, when you say people acquire a taste for that kind of
    60        food?

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