http://althouse.blogspot.com/2007/04/is-federal-government-making-us-fat.html

The indomitable Ann Althouse links to some flogic (my abbreviation for faulty logic) from the Gray Lady about the Federal Farm Program. The yarn they’ve spun goes like this: twinkies make you fat; you eat twinkies because they are cheap; twinkies are cheap because they’re made from processed corn, soy, and wheat products; corn, soybeans, and wheat are cheap because they’re subsidized to the point of overproduction; therefore you’re fat because the federal government subsidizes the production of corn, soybeans, and wheat. The article also suggest that the price of fruits and vegetables have gone up while the “real price” of processed foods like soda pop have gone down because fruits and veggies aren’t subsidized and fizzy drinks are (since they’re made with corn syrup which is made from subsidized corn). If only the federal government subsidized leafy greens and luscious apples and oranges, the corollary goes, we might be buying less expensive produce and enjoying more healthful diets. Take into account the law of unintended consequences, however, and start thinking this way: fruits and vegetables are expensive because they are labor intensive crops; if the federal government was less restrictive on immigration, more migrants would be available to tend these crops; if more migrants were available to tend the crops, more Spanish-speaking students would be in rural schools; if more Spanish-speaking students were in rural schools, the schools would need more translators or bilingual classes; if more translators or bilingual educators were needed, more federal education dollars would be required. OR, look at it this way: fruits & veggies are more pricey because they’re more labor intensive; labor is expensive because liberals have hiked the minimum wage; if government didn’t force the minimum wage on small businesses, the price of fruits and vegetables would be cheaper; if the price of fruits and vegetables were cheaper, people would eat a more balanced diet. So, the bottom line is, the Federal Farm Program isn’t making you fat – the minimum wage is.