Day 022 - 12 Sep 94 - Page 25
1 scientific data do not provide a strong basis for
2 establishing fat intake at precisely 30% of total
3 calories. Indeed, the data could be used to justify an
4 even greater reduction. However, in the judgment of the
5 committee, the suggested reduction ... is a moderate and
6 practical target, and is likely to be beneficial'."
7
8 Then it goes on to emphasise the importance of including
9 fruit and vegetables in the diet. This is regarding
10 cancer, and was this the first time a body of this level
11 had made these kinds of recommendations fixing ----
12 A. I honestly cannot answer that.
13
14 Q. -- these kinds of --- ?
15 A. There has been ----
16
17 Q. - percentages?
18 A. There has been a general suggestion for a number of
19 years that the amount of fat in the diet should be reduced
20 to about 30 per cent of calorie production.
21
22 Q. Right, but this is specifically a body that is talking
23 about cancer, is it not?
24 A. Yes.
25
26 Q. Then it goes on about fibre, basically fruit and
27 vegetables. If we go over the page, 1155, the last
28 paragraph -- sorry, it is about the third paragraph down
29 on the left-hand side: "These interim guidelines were
30 presented with the proviso that 'it is not now possible
31 and may never be possible to specify a diet that would
32 protect everyone against all forms of cancer.' However,
33 the guidelines are likely to reduce the risk of cancer,
34 and they concur with good nutritional practices" etc.
35 So the guidelines are very specifically for cancer. Would
36 you say they are really putting their cards on the table
37 here with the link between fat and cancer?
38 A. No. The way I read it, I do not think you can say
39 that. They are saying the guidelines are likely to reduce
40 the risk of cancer, but they are not saying any more than
41 that.
42
43 Q. "Likely" is quite a strong term, is it not, in the medical
44 field, would you not say? "Likely" means more than 50 per
45 cent chance?
46 A. No, I do not think you can say that at all.
47
48 MR. RAMPTON: One has really got to read the whole paper to
49 make sense of Mr. Morris' questions. I have skimmed read
50 it now. If one reads the whole paper on which Mr. Morris
51 relies, including the comments at the end, one gets an
52 entirely different impression.
53
54 MR. MORRIS: That is the evidence anyway -- that is the
55 recommendations they are making. Just one further
56 reference. If we read the comments at the end, it does go
57 to what Mr. Rampton helpfully said.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You read it to yourself and I will read it
60 and then Mr. Morris can put any part of it he wants. What
