Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 41
1 11, in fact.
2
3 MS. STEEL: I do not think that is fair, to be honest.
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just listen, please. You can ask some
6 questions in re-examination.
7
8 MS. STEEL: Yes, but when Mr. Rampton -- when we have been
9 cross-examining their witnesses, we have been told that we
10 have to let them look at the context of things and any
11 relevant tables.
12
13 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just wait. You know perfectly well, because
14 you have been in this case for two years, that you have the
15 right to re-examine. Wait until then.
16
17 MS. STEEL: It is not a question of re-examination.
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: (To the witness): What you are being asked
20 is the statement is being made that table 11 suggests that
21 a high intake of total fat may also promote the development
22 of a number of cancers. The paragraph goes on to say:
23 "The evidence cannot be considered sufficiently strong to
24 be termed 'causal', but most expert groups now consider it
25 prudent to reduce fat intakes in western societies from the
26 prevailing figure of about 40 percent of energy towards the
27 20 to 30 percent figure."
28
29 You are being asked whether you agree with that. You may
30 do, or you may not. What I want is your view.
31 A. Right. When you give a view, as a health professional,
32 I think it is misleading to say you agree or disagree with
33 a particular paragraph in the contents. If it was a
34 conclusion, then, yes, I would agree with it or disagree
35 with it. But taking -- if you are asking me whether I
36 agree or disagree with the World Health Organisation's
37 view, taking into account the whole report on diet and
38 cancer, then, yes, I would agree with it. I find it hard
39 to separate that paragraph from the report as a whole
40 because the paragraph is not actually a conclusion. The
41 paragraph is just a piece of a much bigger section of the
42 book.
43
44 Q. Thank you.
45 A. But, yes, I would agree with that and looking at the
46 table referred to on page 67, the big plus pluses, if you
47 like, which show a strong positive association are with
48 colon cancer, prostate cancer and there is a cross for
49 breast cancer and there is a cross for rectum cancer
50 showing positive association.
51
52 So, yes, I agree with that.
53
54 MR. RAMPTON: That is what the cross section of the population
55 or epidemiological studies suggest and it is what some of
56 the animal studies suggest, and some of that evidence is
57 contradicted by cohort studies and by case control
58 studies. Am I right?
59 A. Which evidence is this?
60
