Day 015 - 21 Jul 94 - Page 34
1 cancer or saturated fat and heart disease, we are into a
very, very different ball game, in which the complexities
2 are just of a completely different order.
3 I mean, first of all, if you think of the type of
diseases, heart disease and cancer, these are diseases
4 that develop over a very long period. In fact there is
even evidence now which suggests that the nutrition of a
5 mother prior to conception can influence whether or not a
person will develop heart disease. We are dealing with --
6 so that there can be a very, very long period between the
actual factor or influence which ultimately is responsible
7 for that condition. And bear in mind -- are you listening
to the answer?
8
Q. I am just thinking about my next question.
9 A. Well, perhaps you had better listen to what I have to
say.
10
Q. I get your point.
11
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just say what you have to say; it is up to
12 him whether he listens or not.
13 MR. MORRIS: To be honest, I was going to move on to another
subject but I did not want to cut you off.
14
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Can we just stop? I am just anxious
15 that when a question is asked the witness answers it
fully.
16
MR. MORRIS: Yes, I did not want to interrupt.
17
MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, no. But do not concern yourself whether
18 who is listening to you, you just give the answer.
19 MR. MORRIS: It is going on the record. Do not worry about it.
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We have a record of it.
A. All right.
21
MR. MORRIS: I can cut you short because -----
22 A. OK. Well, it is very difficult to establish the
relationship between a factor in diet, and diet itself is
23 very complicated. You know, there are so many different
components present in the normal food that we eat. When
24 you are considering something like heart disease, there
are other factors that come into the equation as well.
25
So, that to do an experiment with a couple of hundred
26 people over a short term and expect that to have, at least
to provide definitive evidence that is going to be applied
27 to a whole population, is really expecting a lot. It is
because of that that I am very, very sceptical of a lot of
28 investigations that have been carried out.
29 Q. So far as McDonald's figures are concerned for their own
food, you have a great deal of faith in them?
30 A. Yes, I am content.
