This week's Junk Science featurette is a good one, concerning the recent CDC proclamation that Americans are all a bunch of drunks. It would seem that the CDC simply dialed a bunch of random phone numbers, asked embarrassing questions about human behavior, and took the results as gospel. To the 'researchers' at the CDC, that is proof enough that Americans have a drinking problem, and need federal intervention. Of course, the CDC will need a big increase in funding to tackle the 'problem'.

Personally, I only believe about 3% of 'studies' I hear about. Perhaps I'm being overly skeptical, but I've seen so much fuzzy math over the years that I cannot help but be a devil's advocate.

The first thing I look at is whether or not the 'researcher' has a vested interest in the results. Agencies like the CDC stand to gain big by making everything out to be an 'epidemic'. I've also become de-sensitized to the 'cancer cause' scare tactics of the government. It would seem as though everything is said to cause cancer, when in fact, we don't know what causes cancer. While activities like smoking may increase the risk for cancer, they are hardly a cause. If smoking caused cancer, George Burns never would have lived to be 100 years old. I'm pretty much leery of anybody that tells me something 'causes' something else. Causal factors for anything are not always so transparent and easy to spot.

I also don't pay much attention to 'health risks' of any kind. I'm tired of 'studies', and temperance freaks telling me that I should watch my fat intake, cholesterol intake, sodium intake, carbohydrate intake, et. al. I plan on living my life for enjoyment's sake. If something makes me happy and doesn't deprive anyone else of life, liberty, or property, I'm gonna go for it. And to paraphrase the great Walter Williams, if you are so concerned about that extra dinner roll on my plate, than why don't you have the guts to come over and try to take it from me personally, instead of deputizing the government to do it for you.