Day 253 - 21 May 96 - Page 32


     
     1        rather a small change, unfortunately.  It would be nice if
     2        it was.
     3
     4   Q.   Then, if we can move, please, to figure 2.24, "Body Mass
     5        Index Distribution".  Once again, can I put it in layman's
     6        terms, Professor Naismith, the higher the body mass index,
     7        or the figure for body mass index, the fatter I am; is that
     8        right?
     9        A.  Yes, it is a measure of the degree of fatness or
    10        leanness of an individual.
    11
    12   Q.   Then we look at this and we see that the Germans and the
    13        French are both fatter than we are.  That is to say, our
    14        men of 35 to 64 years in age?
    15        A.  On average, yes, they are indeed.
    16
    17   Q.   Do you know where, with these sort of figures, one moves
    18        from being fat to being obese?
    19        A.  Well, there is an arbitrary definition, and that is
    20        that with a body mass index between 20 and 25 you are a
    21        healthy body weight.  That can cover perhaps 2 stone
    22        difference between somebody who is 20 and somebody who is
    23        25 in the body mass index, so there is a lot of flexibility
    24        there.  But once you touch 25 you are overweight and when
    25        you get up to 30 you are obese.  If you wanted to look at
    26        that in terms of weight that we can understand, a 6-foot
    27        man would be healthy at 12 stones, at 13 and a half stone
    28        he would be defined as overweight and at 16 stone he would
    29        be obese.
    30
    31   Q.   So, for the West Germans something like 15 per cent of
    32        their male population between 35 and 64 years old are
    33        obese?
    34        A.  Yes.
    35
    36   Q.   And for the French it is something less, it would be about
    37        12 per cent?
    38        A.  Yes.
    39
    40   Q.   We come out roughly 9 per cent, I would say, looking at the
    41        chart?
    42        A.  Yes.
    43
    44   Q.   For those non-obese fatties, again it looks as though the
    45        West Germans and the French both exceed us?
    46        A.  Yes.
    47
    48   Q.   From 25 to 29.  Then finally figure 2.25.  You mention
    49        smoking yesterday as being likely, or the stopping of
    50        smoking is being far likelier to have an effect in the 
    51        prevention of heart disease than any sort of change in 
    52        diet; is that right? 
    53        A.  That is so, yes.
    54
    55   Q.   This chart, alas, is expressed the other way round in that
    56        the white blocks represent regular smokers, the pale pink
    57        other smokers -- I suppose that means occasional smokers,
    58        perhaps the odd cigar or something -- and then ex-smokers
    59        and non-smokers.  Can we assume the dark pink non-smokers
    60        means people who have never smoked?

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