Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 12

     
     1        A.  Yes, that is true, but of course what you have to
              remember is that there is a requirement for energy which
     2        has to be fulfilled in one way or another.
 
     3   Q.  As long as the energy could be got from some source?
              A.  That is right, yes.
     4
         Q.   So when they say that they made pragmatic judgments based
     5        on changes, is it because they are recognising there is a
              high intake and they are making a pragmatic suggestion
     6        about lowering that intake, but in fact when they say at
              the bottom it is not ideal, they would like those figures
     7        to be that much lower for health reasons?
              A.  No, I would not read it like that.  I think when they
     8        say it should not be taken to represent an ideal figure,
              I think that they are making a comparison with these
     9        population averages and with the DRVs which they are
              presenting for minerals and vitamins.  Again, I would --
    10        I mean, they use the term "pragmatic judgments", and my
              interpretation is that the important thing is the
         direction of change they are indicating for the population
              as a whole.  I am not really quite sure what exactly they
    12        mean by the prevailing sociocultural environment, although
              I am sure that they do recognise that it would not really
    13        be acceptable to say there should not be any fat in the
              diet, for example.
    14
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have to say, what it meant to me was that
    15        it would be pointless saying people should not eat fats,
              sugars and starches because a large proportion of the
    16        population always will.  You have to approach the question
              of nutrition with that in mind.  Is that what they are
    17        saying?
              A.  I think that is probably the case because, of course,
    18        there are lots of other factors which people take into
              account in deciding what they are going to eat apart from
    19        nutrition.  I suspect there are some people who do not
              take nutrition into account at all when they are deciding
    20        what their choice of food will be.
 
    MR. MORRIS:  Just to clarify that last point, it does not apply
              to essential  fatty acids, which you do need?
    22        A.  Yes, that is right.
 
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Are you aiming to put that the levels
              should, in fact, be lower?
    24
         MR. MORRIS:  Yes, for health I think that is a clear
    25        interpretation of that paragraph.  As Mr. Justice Bell has
              said, would you agree with that, that the implication is 
    26        they would like the figures to be lower, but it is not 
              necessarily pragmatic to set unrealistic targets? 
    27        A.  Well, certainly as far as total fat is concerned, I do
              not think that would be justified because there are
    28        populations such as those in Mediterranean countries where
              the amount of fat in the diet is the same as it is in this
    29        country, yet the incidence of death from heart disease and
              from other degenerative diseases is lower than it is in
    30        this country; in fact, the age expectancy in Greece is one
              of the highest in the world.  Arguably, it could be a bit