Day 256 - 04 Jun 96 - Page 29
1 3. That one bothers me, I must confess, because if we are
2 going to make recommendations on the basis of what people
3 might like to do, or might like to enjoy, then we are
4 basically confounding and polluting the scientific
5 interpretation, and if we are going to be true to the data,
6 we should not, in fact, take that into consideration.
7
8 If we are charged with making recommendations to the public
9 that it must take into consideration political and economic
10 considerations, then we would raise that kind of question,
11 but if we are going to be true to the data, and analyse it,
12 then that question really I am concerned about it. It
13 tends to raise the spectre of one being biased and
14 prejudiced in the beginning as they get involved in looking
15 at these kind of questions.
16
17 I have been involved in several of these kinds of issues or
18 debate on this on several previous occasions and I think
19 this kind of question simply has no place, to be honest
20 about it, in trying to formulate hypothesis, or formulate
21 an interpretation.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: But that is not what he is talking about, is
24 it? He is talking about what sort of advice should be
25 given, generally speaking?
26 A. Yes.
27
28 Q. Does that debate what he is saying? He is just accepting
29 the reality that you are trying to achieve something and if
30 you put forward advice which is never going to be accepted,
31 you are not going to achieve anything?
32 A. Right. I might just illustrate: We actually were
33 involved in that discussion. That debate raised that
34 question in fact in that green book that you have been
35 there, the National Journal of Sciences, and we chose at
36 the end to have a bit of a compromise on it and we did at
37 that point in time decide that we reducing fat intake down
38 to 30 per cent of calories was practical, was generally
39 acceptable, at least at that point in time, although the
40 data suggested actually that it should be lower than that.
41 So we did take into consideration, at that time, what was
42 practical and what was generally acceptable. Since those
43 days, I have taken a rather different stand because I think
44 scientists need to look at that data impassionately (sic)
45 and just simply look at it ----
46
47 Q. I must say that I think we have gone off on a bit of a side
48 line here.
49
50 MR. MORRIS: Yes. It comes down to advice, yes.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You know, I think you are in some difficulty.
53 If Professor Campbell can give me a useful comment to
54 consider on Hill's report, well and good, but if he has not
55 had time to read and digest it, I wonder whether that is a
56 sensible consideration.
57
58 The overall conclusion is on the next page, Professor
59 Campbell, the last complete long section there from "This
60 analysis".
