Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 20


     
     1        because if, at the end of the day, you want to argue about
     2        what weight I attach to Dr. Arnott's evidence then you have
     3        his answers and you can refer to other evidence and other
     4        publications and invite me to whatever conclusion you will
     5        so far as that is concerned, but that is the context in
     6        which I see this particular line of cross-examination.
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:  OK.  When you talk in your second paragraph about:
     9
    10        "The other features associated with life in an affluent
    11        country, including lifestyle, may be more important than
    12        diet", that is something that is under investigation, is
    13        it?  That is not definite or conclusively proved at this
    14        stage?
    15        A.  No, but if you look at people, for example, moving from
    16        a less affluent to an affluent country, they do not only
    17        change their diet, they change other things as well
    18        frequently.  For example, in affluent societies, you get
    19        out of bed, go downstairs, go into your car, drive to work,
    20        get out of your car and move to the office, and you sit in
    21        your chair all day, go home in the evening, get into your
    22        car and so on, whereas in days gone by or in other
    23        countries people would walk or take much more exercise.
    24
    25        So, one factor -- all I was getting at was that you do not
    26        just change your diet when you move, you know, to an
    27        affluent country or live in an affluent country.  There are
    28        other aspects of lifestyle which may be important, such as,
    29        for example, exercise, such as, for example, cigarette
    30        smoking, and so on.
    31
    32   Q.   I am not arguing that other factors maybe at play.  I  am
    33        just trying to clarify that you are not saying there that
    34        those are the factors and that we should disregard diet;
    35        are you?
    36        A.  No.  I have never suggested one should disregard diet.
    37        Obviously that has to be taken into account.  But what I am
    38        saying is that diet is not the only factor which needs to
    39        be taken into account; there are other things as well.
    40
    41   Q.   But at this stage there is no conclusive evidence about any
    42        of the other factors apart from smoking?
    43        A.  Certainly as far as heart disease and you are asking me
    44        about things in general.
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Stick to cancer for the moment unless
    47        Ms. Steel wanted you to talk about smoking and heart
    48        disease.
    49
    50   MS. STEEL:   Are there any conclusive studies in relation to 
    51        cancer which show that it is other factors, other lifestyle 
    52        factors, that affect cancer? 
    53        A.  Certainly, cigarette smoking affects cancer, exercise
    54        affects cancer in the sense if you do not take exercise you
    55        are much more likely to be obese.
    56
    57   Q.   Again, it is not conclusively proven by any stretch of the
    58        imagination that that would be down to lack of exercise
    59        rather than the diet?
    60        A.  No.

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