Day 032 - 06 Oct 94 - Page 09
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. I have read two statements of yours,
2 Dr. Lobstein; the first is dated 19th July 1993, which is
3 at 2A in the appropriate bundle, and then a response to
4 the evidence, or part of the evidence, and statement of
5 Professor Wheelock, which is dated 4th February 1994.
6
7 THE WITNESS: Yes.
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You adhere to what you said in those
10 statements, do you?
11 A. Yes, I do.
12
13 Q. I should take them as part of your evidence?
14 A. If you would.
15
16 MR. MORRIS: Can you speak up, Dr. Lobstein?
17 A. Yes.
18
19 Q. It is being recorded for the record.
20
21 If we move on. What is the kind of diet which responsible
22 organisations, medical bodies or governmental bodies,
23 advisory bodies, international bodies are recommending as
24 a healthy diet?
25 A. In summary, they are recommending a move away from a
26 typical diet, particularly in this country, from the
27 proportion of fats in the diet, particularly, to a lower
28 fat diet, to a diet with a greater consumption of starchy
29 carbohydrates, to a diet with less consumption of sugary
30 carbohydrates, to a diet with less salt in it, and to a
31 diet with a greater quantity of fruits and vegetables,
32 nuts and seeds. That is a summary of the World Health
33 Organisation's statement.
34
35 I believe the government's COMA Committee, Dietary
36 Reference Values, came up with similar recommendations;
37 the precise figures I could reel off, but I expect you
38 have those already.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. We have looked at those in some
41 detail.
42
43 MR. MORRIS: Would you support those recommendations?
44 A. I would, on the basis of the evidence that they
45 themselves produce in their reports. It would appear they
46 are linked to the general public health, which I support.
47
48 Q. We will come to some specific surveys a bit later.
49 Generally, are there concerns about the average diet as
50 eaten in this country by large numbers of the population?
51 A. Yes, indeed. I believe the purpose of producing those
52 reports was precisely because of those concerns, and,
53 indeed, evidence from other government documents would
54 indicate those concerns would be correct, that heart
55 disease rates and obesity rates and so on are serious and
56 are, in the case of obesity, increasing.
57
58 Q. Presumably, sugar related problems as well?
59 A. Yes, in pockets they are certainly increasing. Dental
60 caries, for example, is increasing rapidly in certain
