The China Study by Thomas Campbell

84 THE (HINA STUDY

generated a public discourse on diet and disease, it was the 1982 NAS
report that gave momentum to this debate. Its focus on cancer, as op-
posed to heart disease, increased public interest and concern. It spurred
additional research activity and public awareness of the importance of
diet in disease prevention.
Many of the reports at the time^20 , 27, 28 were centered on the question of
how much dietary fat was appropriate for good health. The unique atten-
tion given to fat was motivated by international studies showing that the
amount of dietary fat consumed was closely associated with the incidence
of breast cancer, large bowel cancer and heart disease. These were the
diseases that kill the majority of people in Western countries before their
time. Clearly, this correlation was destined to attract great public atten-
tion. The China Study was begun in the midst of this environment.
The best known study,29 in my view, was that of the late Ken Carroll,
professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. His findings
showed a very impressive relationship between dietary fat and breast
cancer (Chart 4.7).
This finding, which corresponded to the earlier reports of others,3,3O
became especially intriguing when compared with migrant studies.^31 , 32
These studies showed that people who migrated from one area to an-
other and who started eating the typical diet of their new reSidency as-
sumed the disease risk of the area to which they moved. This strongly

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CHART 4.7: TOTAL FAT INTAKE AND BREAST CANCER

.NETHERLANDS

FEMALE

.UK • DENMARK

CANADA. • NEW ZEALAND

I RELAND •• .SWITZERLAND .US

BELGIUM

AUSTRALIA •• SWEDEN

AUSTRIA. •• GERMANY

• ITALY NORWAY. FRANCE
  .CZECH
  
  
  • • FINLAND
  
  
  
  


• PORTUGAL HUNGARY

CHilE HONG • KONG • POLAND

• • BULGARIA .SPAIN
  VEN~;A·· •• ~~~~VI: GREECE
  PHILIPPINES COLOMBIA. PUERTO RICO
  JAPAN. • • TAIWAN • MEXICO


• CEYLON
  THAllA~D .El SALVADOR

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Total Dietary Fat Intake (g/day)