The nanny state is not the same as democracy

The state has no right to exist without democracy. To have the consent of the people via democracy is a requirement for a valid state. A reason for this is that the state has the ability to (legally) constrict personal choice and control our actions. Without democratic accountability these powers can descend into a tyrannical situation... these powers must be held in check by democracy.

To have unchecked state powers is a kind of nanny-statism whereby the state is able to restrict our lives for our own benefit. If we are being controlled for our own benefit because other people claim to know better this is dangerous because the typical arguments in favour of freedom have been nullified due to the claim that the state knows best. If someone (with power over us) claims to know what is in our interests and that we as individuals do not know what is best for us then there is no argument for individual autonomy. To prevent a nanny state all state power must be democratically accountable so that the state is held to account by the people.