Food Conspiracy?

No, not that one.

And not that other one, either.

Something completely different.

But first of all, I hate conspiracy theories. I think most of them are ridiculous, mostly because it's essentially impossible to get a large group of people to keep a big secret. I mean, even the NSA couldn't keep its secrets forever.

That said, I think there may be a "conspiracy" of sorts going on with the U.S. government's dietary recommendations.

Let me begin with a parable…

Imagine that tomorrow, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report. The report said the following:

We have thoroughly tested all cars currently on the market, and we have determined that by far the safest car is the Mercedes S-Class Sedan. If you are interested in being as safe as possible on the highway, that's what you should drive. 

Here's the thing: prices for the S-Class start at over $90,000.

What would you expect the reaction would be? Here are some guesses:

• A fair number of one percenters who could afford the price would switch their buying plans from some other high-end auto to the S-Class. This would significantly drive up demand for the Benz, leading to shortages and inevitably, price increases. While the sticker might say $95,000, if you didn't want to wait a year you might have to pony up $105,000 to drive it off the lot. 
• A great hue and cry would rise up among the populace, with charges of "government elitism" and a call for "auto justice": cars just as safe as the S-Class but affordable by ordinary citizens. Some might advocate government subsidies for car purchases, so ordinary Americans could afford to drive safely. 

The end result might be a giant bonanza for Mercedes-Benz.

Here's the point: the government's endorsement of an expensive solution to a problem that affects every American could trigger all kinds of disruptive activity.