Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 29


     
     1        that they drink a lot more wine than we do?
     2        A.  I do not accept that.  The level of alcohol where it is
     3        not harmful is -- they have recently changed the
     4        recommendations, but the actual amounts are more or less
     5        the same.  For women it is 3 units of alcohol a day, for
     6        men it is 4 units of alcohol a day, and above that it is
     7        thought to be harmful.  In terms of looking at the French
     8        study you have referred to there are lots and lots of
     9        different opinions on that.   The one that I think stands
    10        most to reason is, if you look at the French diet they
    11        consume an awful lot more fruit and vegetables than we do
    12        and it is the fresh fruit and vegetables within their diet
    13        that are protecting them against the coronary heart disease
    14        and cancers.
    15
    16   Q.   I understand that to be one point of view, and certainly
    17        you are right they consume more fruit and vegetables than
    18        we do.  However, at the same time you would agree they
    19        consume very considerably greater quantities of saturated
    20        fat?
    21        A.   The question you asked me before was about the
    22        alcohol.
    23
    24   Q.   Yes, I know.
    25        A.   In terms of the alcohol, I do not agree with the
    26        theory that they consume more alcohol.
    27
    28   MR RAMPTON:  I will give you, I do not play tricks--
    29        A.  In terms of saturated fat I think if you looked at
    30        something like the Scottish diet there probably would not
    31        be much difference between the saturated fat consumed by
    32        the French and the Scottish.
    33
    34   Q.   I give you my drift, because I am not trying to trap you.
    35        You have said that it is your opinion that what protects
    36        the French, and indeed if you look at figures, the Germans
    37        as well, may be a high consumption of green vegetables and
    38        fruit; yes?
    39        A.   I think that is one thing which might protect them but
    40        I think anything related to diet is a multifactorial type
    41        of situation.
    42
    43   Q.   Exactly.
    44        A.  And that is one factor which might protect them.
    45
    46   Q.   Exactly.
    47        A.   Fresh fruit and vegetables.
    48
    49   Q.   I am sorry.  I did not mean to interrupt.  Did you also
    50        know that French men and German men between the ages of 35
    51        and 64 are notably fatter than British men?
    52        A.   German men and French men? 
    53
    54   Q.   And French men too.  Did you know that?
    55        A.   I believe they are.  In this country the incidence of
    56        obesity is still rising.  The Health of the Nation produced
    57        figures for reducing the targets for obesity and rather
    58        than falling the incidence of obesity in this country is
    59        still rising.
    60

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