Day 298 - 11 Nov 96 - Page 08


     
     1        what consumers might be willing to accept, not because of
     2        the scientific evidence available at the time.  In fact, he
     3        referred to the National Academy of Scientific Researches
     4        report on diet and cancer, which said that the scientific
     5        data provided a strong basis for an even greater reduction
     6        in the percentage of calories from fat intake.  That was
     7        the committee that he was part of.
     8
     9        He was talking about the Surgeon General's report of 1988
    10        about diet and cancer, which he was one of the major
    11        reviewers for that report.  There was a reference to
    12        whether or not it would be acceptable to continue consuming
    13        a high risk diet, especially when the individual did not
    14        know which of the undetectable diseases he or she wishes to
    15        avoid because of the diet.  He was asked to explain what
    16        was meant by a high risk diet, and he said the diet that is
    17        high in fat, salt and sugar, low in dietary fibre and also
    18        high in animal products, animal protein and lower in
    19        antioxidant nutrients.  That is what he would call a high
    20        risk diet.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   What was the page for that?
    23
    24   MS. STEEL:   That is page 23.  It is from line 55 onwards.
    25
    26        This is going back to the point about menarche, and he was
    27        asked by Mr. Rampton, "Early age at menarche has been
    28        identified as a risk factor?"  And then he said, "Yes."
    29        Then Mr. Rampton said, "And that is at least in part diet
    30        related.  We can agree about that?"  And he, Professor
    31        Campbell, said, "Yes, probably a large part."  So I think
    32        that is a useful admission there from the Plaintiffs that
    33        they do agree that diet is causally related to breast
    34        cancer through the effects of diet.
    35
    36   MR. RAMPTON:   It does not mean that at all.  A risk factor is
    37        not the same thing as an established causal factor.  I
    38        don't mind Miss Steel saying what she says provided she
    39        does not make me make admissions which I did not make.
    40
    41   MS. STEEL:   No.  It says, "Early age at menarche is at least in
    42        part diet related, we can agree about that."  It does not
    43        say a 'risk factor' for that part.
    44
    45   MR. RAMPTON:   My Lord, it does not matter.  Once again I have
    46        been misrepresented.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   What Mr. Rampton is saying, he was not
    49        admitting when he put that that diet was a cause of it.
    50        But the important thing is for you to make your submissions
    51        of what you say it amounts to.
    52
    53   MS. STEEL:   Obviously, we say it amounts to a causal
    54        relationship between diet and breast cancer, but I would
    55        say that if you read what Mr. Rampton says, he is agreeing
    56        with it there as well.
    57
    58        We might as well bring up this point now, which is that on
    59        day 36, when Dr. Barnard was in the witness box and he was
    60        being cross-examined by Mr. Rampton, page 10 of day 36,

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