Day 016 - 22 Jul 94 - Page 73


     
     1        in the diet, or -- I mean, that applies to fat and to
              saturated fat.
     2
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If they are done for quantities over a
     3        period of time it is normally registered on a daily basis?
              A.  That is correct yes.
     4
         MS. STEEL:   But total fat consumption, whether or not as a
     5        percentage, is -- the quantity you eat overall is
              important as well, is it not?  It is not just, it does not
     6        matter how much fat you eat as long as it does not go over
              a certain percentage?
     7        A.  Yes.  If it is given in percentage energy, then you
              need to tie that in to the recommended amount of calorie
     8        intake for the different people, so you can do a
              calculation then.  You find, for example, saturated fat
     9        for an adult male it works out at round about 31 grams a
              day, for an adult female about 24 grams a day.
    10
         Q.   That is expressed per day, as you just said?
    11        A.  Yes, it is.
 
    12   Q.   Obviously there are going to be days when people are going
              to go over the limit and there are going to be days when
    13        they are under the limit, but by and large is the idea to
              try and look at your daily consumption?
    14        A.  I would say a rule of thumb to look at it in terms of
              a week or a fortnight would be reasonable.
    15
         Q.   Have you got ---?
    16        A.  Certainly there will be individual days when you will
              go over and individual days when you will go under, and
    17        the important thing is to get the average over a period
              about right.
    18
         Q.   Do you think people remember -- I do not know, "three days
    19        ago I had a huge amount of fat; today I had better not
              have much"?
    20        A.  That is really up to them.  I mean, I do know some of
              my friends who are very keen on their calorie intake will
    21        count it up and keep a record.  Sure if they go over one
              day, they will go down the next day.  It depends on the
    22        individual.
 
    23   Q.   Right.  But that is not particularly common?
              A.  No, but it is a reflection of what people will do if
    24        they are keen to adhere to them.  It is not something I do
              myself, I might say.
    25
         Q.   But the idea of giving daily recommended amounts is  so 
    26        that people can try and look at their consumption in a day 
              and balance it out the next day? 
    27        A.  It is a providing a yardstick for them, is it not?
 
    28   Q.   Is it right that over consumption of certain nutrients is
              a big problem in western society?
    29        A.  Over consumption of total energy is certainly
              recognised as a problem in this country; probably also in
    30        other western countries as well.
 

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