Day 297 - 08 Nov 96 - Page 18


     
     1        to speculate that a diet with modest amounts of fat, i.e.
     2        at 15 to 20 percent of energy, would avoid problems of
     3        energy deficiency without unduly advancing the hazards of
     4        obesity and other chronic diseases occurring with an
     5        average dietary fat content of 30 percent of energy.  Day
     6        29, page 21.
     7
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   What is the reference, 29, 21?
     9
    10   MS. STEEL:   Yes.  He agreed that the occurrence of diabetes
    11        within a community is influenced by a number of factors,
    12        including dietary factors.  That was day 29, page 23.  He
    13        commented that as the total fat content of the diet
    14        increases an increased proportion of the population will
    15        develop obesity with all its complications.  Day 29, page
    16        24.  He accepted that deaths and disabilities should be
    17        prevented by changes in diet and in other aspects of
    18        lifestyle.  That was day 29, page 32.  He advocated the
    19        prevention of obesity and protection of the cardiovascular
    20        system as good reasons for the reduction of fat in the
    21        diet.  That is day 29, page 34.
    22
    23        There might be other points to raise with Professor Keene,
    24        but I will move on to Geoffrey Cannon who stated that his
    25        impression during the mid '80s was that the experts did
    26        agree on the relationship between an industrialised diet
    27        and western diseases, including heart attacks and colon
    28        cancer.  That was day 30, page 16 to 17.  He supported his
    29        contention by quoting Professor Doll in 1982.  This is on
    30        day 30, page 18.  And by reference to the volume of
    31        evidence on diet and cancer he referred to a data base that
    32        has been set up containing in the region of 5,000 monitored
    33        papers on the subject.  Day 30, page 20.
    34
    35        He referred to conclusive statements published in the
    36        States in 1988, or around that time, linking diet with
    37        cancer and he believed that the standard of proof for that
    38        statement would be beyond reasonable doubt.  He said that
    39        this standard would also be applied to recommendations
    40        released by the World Health Organisation. That was on day
    41        30, page 23.  Mr. Cannon stated that the evidence on diet
    42        and cancer is accepted in America by the medical
    43        profession, by scientists, the government and society
    44        generally.  That was on day 30, page 26.  He also said it
    45        was also accepted in Europe and Scotland.  That was day 30,
    46        page 27.  He stated that the UK government have accepted
    47        the evidence of diet being linked to cardiovascular disease
    48        but not the link to cancer, although there is, or was,
    49        currently, I don't know what the situation is, a COMA
    50        committee sitting on diet and cancer, and the reference for
    51        this was page 26 -----
    52
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  We were told, were we not, when the witnesses
    54        came back, that it is still in gestation form?
    55
    56   MS. STEEL:   Anyway, Mr. Cannon concluded that the link between
    57        cancer and diet is generally accepted by health
    58        professionals and the Scientific Research Committee.  Day
    59        30, page 27.
    60

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