Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 25


     
     1        this contention was supported by research and accepted in
     2        the medical community.  That was day 33, page 8.
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Was that the same reference for everything
     5        you have just said or did the first part have a separate
     6        reference?
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:   That is the same reference for all of it.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
    11
    12   MR. MORRIS:   Can I just say, while passing, that the worst
    13        prognosis for people that are eating unhealthy foods, when
    14        they actually have heart disease or cancer or other chronic
    15        diseases, is very important because that is part of the
    16        additional -- not only is the whole population at a very
    17        real risk, but also some are particularly at a greater risk
    18        because of their vulnerability or that they have the
    19        disease and they may not know it.  In fact, they are
    20        probably unlikely to know it until it reaches a serious
    21        stage.
    22
    23        And Dr. Arnott, we say, accepted the worst prognosis view
    24        by the dietary recommendations he was making to his
    25        patients, which include, of course, reducing the fat
    26        content of their diets and increasing the fibre content of
    27        their diets in order to help with their treatment.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
    30
    31   MS. STEEL:   Dr. Barnard agreed with the statement in the World
    32        Health Organisation report that dietary factors are known
    33        to influence the development of a number of diseases, and
    34        he supported the use of the word "known" and indicated that
    35        "suspect" would be too weak.  That was day 33, page 9.
    36
    37        He considered that most other physicians and researchers
    38        would agree with the World Health Organisation position.
    39        That was day 33, page 9 as well.
    40
    41        He said that in America there has been concern and research
    42        into the links between diet and cancer for a number of
    43        years and the first official position was taken by the
    44        National Research Council in 1982, which obviously is
    45        several years before the date of the alleged libel.  That
    46        was on day 33, page 9 as well.
    47
    48        Dr. Barnard referred to hundreds of studies that have
    49        concluded that the less fat, cholesterol, meat and dairy
    50        products consumed, the lower the risk of heart disease.
    51        That was day 33, page 11.
    52
    53        Dr. Barnard stated that dietary factors could account for
    54        anywhere between 30 and 70 percent of cancers and that
    55        there was a very high correlation between high fat intake
    56        and cancer rates.  That was day 33, page 13.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
    59
    60   MS. STEEL:   He outlined the epidemiological evidence that he

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