Oil companies provide an efficient diet

I could stand to lose a few more pounds of fat.

I've done well since 2003 by loosing and keeping more than 50 pounds off. It was the year I arrived in Japan for a two-year stay.

My wife and I found a great secret in losing weight. High prices.

Food in Japan is more expensive than food in the United States. We found eight slices of typical, cheap white bread for $1.79 … on sale. Meat is nearly double the cost of any Safeway. Veggies and fruit … it would scare most people. A single apple went for about $3.

With only one income in Japan, we had to limit our food budget. We bought a lot less which meant eating less (but not starving) and losing weight.

Sunday I read how biofuels are under attack for increasing the cost of food. Seems several groups are convinced all of the food is going for biofuels, most is probably for ethanol.

The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) cites how the demand for biofuels are "snatching the food out of the mouths of the poor."

Silly French.

The food price increases are due to the biofuel enemy - oil. Yep. Black gold. Texas tea.

It takes diesel and gas powered machines to grow, harvest and transport food. I'm not sure how gas prices are in France, but here they flew through the roof and seem bent on achieving orbit.

Friday ABC News announced diesel was at a national average of $4.17 a gallon. Last year it was much lower.

So if the price of diesel goes up, does this mean the farmers, food processors and stores pay more to bring you groceries? Yep.

USA Today newspaper states we endured an average 20 percent increase in shipping costs over the last year.

This means food is going to cost more.

The downside is it will be painful to buy less food at higher prices. The upside is we might move away from being a country "plagued with obesity" to svelte Americans finding something good in over-inflated fuel prices.