Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 51
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Where are you now, Mr. Rampton?
2 MR. RAMPTON: On page 6, my Lord. The column headed
"Cancers". Professor Wheelock, do you see a passage
3 which somebody has marked with a large letter B in a
circle?
4 A. Yes.
5 Q. This was not read to you by Ms. Steel -- perhaps we can
understand why if we read it -- "Although epidemiological
6 studies concerned with diet have repeatedly shown an
association between the dietary fat intake and the
7 incidence of various types of cancer", so far is that
right?
8 A. Yes, it is.
9 Q. "... there is still considerable doubt about the nature of
the relationship. It is now recognised that the diet
10 consumed in Greece has a high fat content (about 40 per
cent of calories) yet the incidences of most cancers and
11 of heart disease are relatively low. In fact, the age
expectancy in Greece is one of the highest in the world".
12 I think you told us that earlier today?
A. Yes, yes, we mentioned that.
13
Q. "The big difference between the Greek diet and those
14 typical of Northern Europe and North America is that the
Greeks consume a high proportion of olive oil. The amount
15 of saturated fat in Greece is very low, although currently
it is increasing. In an attempt to gain greater insight,
16 cancer researchers are now attempting", this is end of
1991,"to determine the role of the different types of fat
17 in the diet. There is some suggestion that saturated fat
may be the critical factor, but much more information is
18 needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. As explained
later, the high proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables
19 in the Greek diet probably contributes to the low
incidence of the degenerative diseases".
20
As a statement of your state of learning in 1991, is that
21 something to which you now adhere?
A. Yes, there is nothing that has happened that would
22 make me change my mind on that at all.
23 Q. So, in your view it was accurate then and it is accurate
at this date?
24 A. Yes.
25 Q. Thank you. Do you recall having your attention drawn to a
passage in one of McDonald's leaflets not long ago?
26 A. Yes.
27 Q. Do you recall a statement by the Government in the MAFF
booklet to the effect that there may be a link between
28 this sort of diet and various kinds of cancers?
A. Yes.
29
Q. Do those all seem to you to be reasonable sorts of
30 statements?
A. Perfectly consistent in my view.
