Day 022 - 12 Sep 94 - Page 30

     
     1        the risk of diseases such -----
     2
     3   Q.   Might prevent or reduce the risk?
     4        A.  They are not saying ----.
     5
     6   Q.   An example of that is the one we were reading before, the
     7        US National Academy.  "It is important to remember that
     8        although diet is an important contributory factor to these
     9        diseases".  Would you say that is a bit strong or that is
    10        an important contributory factor?
    11        A.  I think, certainly as far as coronary artery disease
    12        is concerned, diet is important.
    13
    14   Q.   But it says "to these diseases", so presumably all those
    15        diseases?
    16        A.  Well, you know, I would agree with some of it but not
    17        as far as cancer is concerned, because I do not believe we
    18        have the evidence to support that.
    19
    20   Q.   So would you say therefore that that statement ----?
         A.  They are talking about obesity and we know the
    22        influence that obesity has on the outlook of patients with
    23        cancer, so in that sense it is important.
    24
    25   Q.   So you can say that diet is linked to cancer through
    26        obesity but not necessarily through other ----?
    27        A.  There is a linkage, but not necessarily in terms of
    28        causation.
    29
    30   Q.   Right.
    31        A.  I mean, it seems logical to assume that aspects of our
    32        diet are involved in the causation of certain illnesses.
    33
    34   Q.   Yes.
    35        A.  But my argument ----.
    36
    37   Q.   Including cancer?
    38        A.  Including cancer, but my argument is we do not have
    39        the scientific evidence to support that at the moment.  We
    40        have conflicting evidence, some of which suggests that
         there is a relationship between certain items in the diet
    42        and cancer, and equally convincing evidence from other
    43        studies which fail to demonstrate that.  As anything in
    44        medicine, one has to have consistency of finding and
    45        reproduceability of the studies before one can say, "yes,
    46        there is a definite linkage here".
    47
    48   Q.   I am going to come later on to seeing whether these
    49        recommendations and your position is right or not right.
    50        What I am trying to look at is the advice that is being 
    51        given or recommendations that are being given by bodies. 
    52        A.  I have already agreed that the advice that is being 
    53        given is very sensible in the light of our current
    54        knowledge.
    55
    56   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is there a specific reason why you are not
    57        asking the witness to look at this document?
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  I will show it to him in a minute.  I just wanted
    60        to not colour any possible professional response.