Sally Pipes, in defense of freedom, has critically examined the Body Mass Index which is used to project the percentage of obese Americans, and therefore, create government policies to police our eating.Given that her op-ed was published in the Washington Post the day after Christmas, you may have missed it, so here are a few of her key points to keep in mind:

“For starters, government data about what constitutes “overweight” and “obese” are misleading.

“The standard metric for this measurement is a person’s body-mass index, or BMI — the ratio of one’s height to one’s weight. But at best, BMI is a rough tool that does not take into account an individual’s body type. A six-foot-two athlete who weighs 210 pounds would be classified as “obese” according to BMI charts — despite his 32-inch waistline, 17-inch biceps and his less than 6 percent actual body fat.

“If you believe the BMI tables, most of the best players in the NBA and NFL are “overweight,” including superstar athletes Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady.

“Many Hollywood heartthrobs also qualify as fatties — Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Tom Cruise and George Clooney, to name a few.

“What’s more, the acceptable BMI continues to be ratcheted downward — transforming those who were considered perfectly healthy yesterday into “overweight” and “obese” today.

“Before 1998, a ‘healthy’ BMI was anything less than 27. Then, suddenly, the government changed the “healthy” number to anything less than 25. Overnight, more than 25 million people who were previously considered to be a healthy or normal weight were reclassified as overweight. Looked at another way, the government artificially manufactured an obesity crisis by moving the BMI goal posts.”

Why should it matter that the U.S. government miscalculated the obesity related death rate by 15 times? Pipes writes:

“Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had to publicly concede in 2005 that its estimate a year earlier of “400,000 obesity-related deaths per year” should have been 112,000. But once prevented deaths are factored in, the figure is closer to 26,000 deaths per year — one-fifteenth its original estimate.”

It matters because there are many who want a Nanny government, to restrict our choices. Again, from Pipes:

“…is it government’s role to help us reduce our rolls? Or is it a matter of personal responsibility?”We know that fries and cheeseburgers aren’t healthy fare. And thanks in part to heightened concerns about obesity, we can now buy low-fat salads at just about every fast-food outlet in the country. The same supermarkets and convenience stores that sell popcorn and candy bars also sell healthful foods.”People make choices. And government should protect — not restrict — the freedom to make those choices so long as we’re not harming others.”While we may not always like the choices others might make, it is essential that we all have the freedom to choose for ourselves. Once we accept the idea that the Nanny State should step in when it’s “for our own good,” we’ve taken a very big step down the road to something like the scene painted in George Orwell’s “1984″ — when citizens wake each day to mandatory exercise classes on the Telescreen.”Most of us would prefer to choose for ourselves whether to exercise or have an extra helping of apple pie. And if we gain an extra pound over the holidays — so what? That’s why we have New Year’s resolutions.”Sally C. Pipes is president and chief executive of the Pacific Research Institute and the author of “Miracle Cure: How to Solve America’s Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn’t the Answer.”

Brave New Drugs

As long as we are on the subject of the Brave New Diet, the Los Angles Times ran a fascinating story of the rise of brain and performance enhancing drug taking among professionals, like classical musicians:

“In the world of classical music, beta blockers such as Inderal have become nearly as commonplace as metronomes.

“The drugs block adrenaline receptors in the heart and blood vessels, helping to control arrhythmias and high blood pressure. They also block adrenaline receptors in the brain.

“‘You still have adrenaline flowing in your body, but you don’t feel that adrenaline rush so you’re not distracted by your own nervousness,” said Dr. Bernd F. Remler, a neurologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

“That’s why Sarah Tuck, a veteran flutist with the San Diego Symphony, takes them to stave off the jitters that musicians refer to as “rubber fingers.”

“‘When your heart is racing and your hands are shaking and you have difficulty breathing, it is difficult to perform,” said Tuck, 41, who discovered them when she began performing professionally 15 years ago.”A survey she conducted a decade ago revealed one-quarter of flutists used the pills before some or all of their performances or in high-pressure situations like auditions. She believes use is now more widespread and estimates that three-quarters of musicians she knows use the drugs at least occasionally.”

Professional poker players use them too, for increased focus and consistent playing performance.