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,
