Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 09

     
     1        cancer?  A guide to reducing your risks", which talks
              about the links between diet and cancer, and also to a
     2        publication by the Cancer Education Co-ordinating Group.
 
     3        At this stage I want to read to the court part of a
              leaflet produced by the Cancer Education Co-ordinating
     4        Group which is entitled:  "Avoiding Cancer".  The sixth
              part of this leaflet -- the leaflet is giving ten
     5        guidelines for the cutting down on your risks of getting
              cancer -- is "cut down on fatty foods".  It states:
     6
              "It is known that in western countries where people
     7        usually eat a lot of meat, butter and other dairy
              products, there is a higher risk of breast and bowel
     8        cancer as well as other diseases, like coronary heart
              disease.  A sensible diet can reduce this risk".  It goes
     9        on to make some suggestions about how you can cut down fat
              in your diet.
    10
              On top of this in McDonald's own publication:  "Good Food,
         Nutrition and McDonald's", there is a recognition of links
              between diet and certain diseases.  I want to read part of
    12        this document as well.  It is on page 12 of this
              document.  It states:
    13
              "In recent years doctors and nutritionists have also
    14        become aware of other important factors in healthy
              eating.  There is a considerable amount of evidence to
    15        suggest that many of the diseases which are more common in
              the western, affluent world, diseases such as obesity,
    16        diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and
              some forms of cancer, are related to diet.  The typical
    17        western diet is relatively low in dietary fibre, roughage,
              and high in fat, salt and sugar".
    18
              Why are we being forced to spend a great deal of time and
    19        energy on proving these links?  Why are the plaintiffs
              calling evidence to contradict what is stated in their own
    20        document?  We believe it is part of their twofold strategy
              to sue over anything critical of themselves and, secondly,
         to make this case as complex as possible.  This second
              part is done in order to make it as difficult as possible
    22        for us to present our case, bearing in mind our
              difficulties with resources and legal inexperience.
    23
              We also believe that it was part of their strategy to
    24        prevent these issues from being tried by a jury.  You
              might very well take the view that McDonald's are a
    25        bullying multi-national, and that this case should never
              have been brought at all. 
    26   (11.00 am) 
              Separate to this point but obviously linked is the issue 
    27        of how McDonald's food fits into this picture.  We say
              that the food sold at McDonald's is high in fat, sugar and
    28        salts and low in fibre; that it, therefore, fits the
              description given in McDonald's own pamphlet of a typical
    29        western diet.
 
    30        Contrary to what Mr. Rampton said yesterday, neither we
              nor our witnesses have confused diet with food.  But, as