Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 63
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause a moment. Yes.
2
3 MS. STEEL: I mean, it says in the conclusion that although the
4 mechanism of the protective effect is unclear the fact that
5 fruit and vegetables protect against carcinogenesis at a
6 wide of range of sites is indisputable. I take it you are
7 not going to disagree with that?
8 A. I would agree.
9
10 Q. So, despite the fact that they do not know the exact
11 mechanisms by which it works, it seems everybody is
12 convinced that it does work?
13 A. Yes.
14
15 Q. If we go to the final page of the report, page 38, this is
16 the view of Dr or Professor Hill.
17
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just call him Hill.
19
20 MR. MORRIS: It might be a woman?
21 A. It is not a woman, no, it is a man.
22
23 Q. It is a man is it?
24
25 MS. STEEL: It says, "Thus the overall conclusion must be that
26 only the two following recommendations might be considered
27 justifiable in the light of current knowledge, and the
28 first one is to maintain a healthy body weight. Many
29 cancers as well as many other diseases with a high
30 mortality risk are associated with overweight. Avoidance
31 of obesity may decrease the risk of cancer at a number of
32 sites and is unlikely to increase the risk of cancer at any
33 site. Obesity can be avoided by increased exercise or by
34 control of energy intake", and in No. 2, "eat plenty of raw
35 and preserved fruits, salads and vegetables. There is
36 evidence to suggest that these may be protective against a
37 wide range of cancers and are not positively related to
38 any, although much of the evidence is obtained from
39 observational studies."
40
41 "There are theoretical and practical reasons for suggesting
42 dietary advice such as this should be targeted particularly
43 at the young. As the results emerge from current
44 intervention studies it is likely that it will be
45 reasonable to advise the general public to eat a decreased
46 amounts of total fat and saturated fat as is consistent
47 with a specific UK Government Health of the Nation White
48 Paper target, and to eat greater amounts of cereals and
49 complex carbohydrates. That point has probably already
50 been reached for groups of people at high risk of cancer,
51 such as first degree relatives of patients with cancer of
52 the breast, colorectum, or endometrium in whom the balance
53 is tilted towards benefit". So, effectively, what is there
54 is that ----
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you want to ask if there is any
57 difference, any reservation, about that?
58
59 MS. STEEL: Do you agree with all of that?
60 A. I would say in general I would agree with that.
