Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 38


     
     1        Health Organisation said about it in a moment, if you want,
     2        which plainly does not join the consensus -----  A.  Could
     3        I comment on that?
     4
     5   Q.   Yes, of course.
     6        A.   There is -- in my experience, there is always a
     7        problem where scientists meet politicians.  The problem --
     8        I mean, I use an example of the ozone layer.  It is an
     9        example to illustrate this point, that the scientists were
    10        saying that CFC's destroy the ozone layer and wanted the
    11        government to act.  The government said, "There is no
    12        evidence.  There is not sufficient evidence to stop
    13        producing CFC's that destroy the ozone layer".  The people
    14        -- the scientists keep saying, "We believe that there is a
    15        strong amount of evidence that CFC's destroy the ozone
    16        layer".
    17
    18        Governments and politicians only act when the proof is
    19        there.  If you want to prevent health problems, if you want
    20        to prevent environmental problems, if you like, you have to
    21        look at the evidence that there is and act on insufficient
    22        evidence.  If you always waited until there was sufficient
    23        evidence before governments took any action, then I would
    24        say that was irresponsible.  A responsible government
    25        looking at the evidence that there is on dietary fat and
    26        cancers, I think -- it came into my training as a dietitian
    27        which leads to State Registration, which is a national
    28        qualification, that dietary fat is related to cancer and
    29        other problems with a high fat diet are likely to lead to
    30        cancer.
    31
    32        So, I think that just because the report says there is not
    33        sufficient evidence, you might find in five years' time
    34        that there is sufficient evidence.  I know there are big
    35        population studies going on.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is not what Mr. Rampton is putting to
    38        you.
    39
    40   MR. RAMPTON:  That is absolutely right.  I cannot agree more.
    41        A.   Governments are very cautious about what they are
    42        saying, that they are almost -----
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just listen very carefully to the question.
    45        Whether or not all that is sound sense, it was not what
    46        counsel actually asked you.
    47
    48   MR. RAMPTON:  No.  You see, I raised that because you said that
    49        everybody makes propositions which you would advance which
    50        is, in effect, that excessive dietary fat causes cancer.
    51        Our government does not appear to agree with you, nor, if I
    52        may suggest, does the World Health Organisation.  I will 
    53        show you that in a minute.
    54        A.  I would have another interpretation of that paragraph.
    55        "The panel concluded that there was currently insufficient
    56        evidence on which to base a recommendation for a decrease
    57        in fat intakes to prevent cancer, although an increase in
    58        consumption of any fatty acids should not be encouraged."
    59        I would not necessarily agree with that interpretation.
    60

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