Day 022 - 12 Sep 94 - Page 11

     
     1        that is low in total and saturated fat, high in plant
     2        foods, especially green and yellow vegetables and citrus
     3        fruits, and low in alcohol, salt-pickled, smoked, and
     4        salt-preserved foods is consistent with a low risk of many
     5        of the current, major cancers, including cancer of the
     6        colon, prostate, breast, stomach, lung, and oesophagus".
     7
     8        Having heard that, the World Health Organisation is not a
     9        body that is wild as to its conclusions; they take time,
    10        consider evidence from many countries?
    11        A.  Yes.
    12
    13   Q.   Would you say that is a responsible look at the situation?
    14        A.  It is -- do remember it was written in 1990, and it is
    15        written by a Committee, not just one person, and they
    16        actually say in their conclusion that, although dietary
    17        factors are important, they cannot actually quantify that
    18        on the basis of present knowledge.  Now, since this report
    19        was published in 1990, there have been some major studies
    20        which have actually been published, prospective studies,
         looking at, for example, breast cancer, looking at colon
    22        cancer, a large study which I quoted in my evidence of
    23        several hundred thousand people looking at colon cancer
    24        and was unable to find a relationship between fat and the
    25        development of colon cancer.  The same applies to the
    26        nurses' study that could not find a relationship between
    27        fat and breast cancer.  This is what I am saying.
    28
    29        The problem is that the facts seem to change with time.
    30        There is lack of consistency in the facts.  The facts
    31        cannot be reproduced.  This is a major problem.
    32
    33   Q.   So, is the World Health Organisation -- at that time then,
    34        you are saying in 1990 that may have been a reasonable
    35        position, but you have now reason to believe it is open to
    36        question more than it was then?
    37        A.  I think ----.
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.  Mr. Morris' question
    40        was, would you say that is a responsible look at the
         situation and obviously it is a look at the situation as
    42        at 1990?
    43        A.  I think that is absolutely right.
    44
    45   Q.   So, perhaps you would put the question again in this form,
    46        Mr. Morris:  Would you say that was a responsible look at
    47        the situation in 1990?
    48        A.  It is a reasonable look at the situation.  I think it
    49        is important to remember that the World Health
    50        Organisation are trying to give advice to people about 
    51        various aspects of things and in this particular report 
    52        they are looking at diet.  I think most of us would agree 
    53        that it is important to try to reduce the amount of fat in
    54        our diet for a variety of reasons; for example, obesity.
    55        I have already indicated that obesity may be an adverse
    56        factor as far as outlook is concerned once people develop
    57        cancer.
    58
    59        I think there is -- I am no expert in the field -- but
    60        there is probably thought to be a stronger relationship