Day 033 - 10 Oct 94 - Page 09
1 just ask you a question.
2 A. You would like me to read the Conclusions on page
3 157?
4
5 Q. Yes, just those two paragraphs.
6 A. "Dietary factors are ----".
7
8 Q. Do not read it out; just read them to yourself.
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Which page is this?
11
12 MR. MORRIS: 157, Conclusions.
13 A. Yes.
14
15 Q. I just want to focus on the first sentence: "Dietary
16 factors are now known to influence the development of a
17 wide range of chronic diseases, eg. Coronary heart
18 disease, various cancers, hypertension, cerebrovascular
19 disease, and diabetes". Do you agree with that statement?
20 A. Yes, I would, because the use of the word "known" is
21 considerably stronger than "suspected" or "thought to
22 be". These links are now accepted and, as they say,
23 "known".
24
25 Q. The last sentence: "Their prevention or reduction is both
26 a social responsibility and an economic necessity."
27 A. Yes, I would agree very much with that statement.
28
29 Q. So that general position in those two paragraphs -- is
30 that something you share?
31 A. I share this. I certainly would agree with their
32 position and I believe most other physicians and
33 researchers would as well.
34
35 Q. In America has there been official concern and position
36 about the links between diet and cancer for a number of
37 years?
38 A. There has been a great deal of concern for many years,
39 and this has not been limited to concern but has led to a
40 very careful review of the research as well as to
41 conclusions about the nature of the links between dietary
42 factors and cancer, and has led all major bodies, all
43 major cancer research bodies, as well as bodies dealing
44 with heart disease and other chronic diseases, to issue
45 clear cut nutrient guidelines for the reduction first of
46 fat, but also of other -- but also calling for other
47 dietary changes.
48
49 Q. How long does that go back? When was the first official
50 position taken on the links between diet and cancer, for
51 example?
52 A. The first one that got quite wide attention was in
53 1982 by the National Research Council. Whether there were
54 other major documents before that, I am not aware of them.
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I ask you to pause there? I do not want
57 you to concern yourself with this potential problem, but
58 one of the questions in the case may be what is meant when
59 you say that something is "linked with" something else.
60 That phrase, "linked with", what does it mean to you? In
