Subsidy programs are at odds with federal health recommendations, said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which issued a report this year on the conflict between America's agricultural and health policies.

The new USDA dietary guidelines released in January emphasize eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed fats, meats and corn-based sweeteners. Yet the unhealthy foods are the ones that get the subsidies. "From a public-health perspective, altering these policies is key to addressing the epidemic of obesity among Americans," Barnard said.

Eliminating U.S. grain subsidies (wheat, rice and corn) would lead to each American eating about 1,000 fewer calories a year, according to a 2009 analysis published by Alston and his colleagues. That amounts to a pound lost every three and a half years, which is better than the average pound Americans gain each year.

And eliminating subsidies would likely improve the nation's economic health.

Times have changed

Farming has changed a lot since the Great Depression, when farm subsidies played a big role in helping farmers survive and families eat. "But it doesn't make sense to rely on policies we had 80 years ago," said Degennaro.

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Every year since 1996, the average farmer has done better financially than the average person. "Farms fail far less often than non-farm businesses fail, so the rationale for government to continue to prop up this sector has gone away," he said.

When asked to respond, the Florida Farm Bureau refused to comment.

Although Alston doesn't believe subsidies have had much effect on Americans' health, he opposes them for financial reasons. "Propping up farmers and leaving them on the farm is not a rational economic position, because we have too many farmers. A better solution would be to help get them out of agriculture," he said.

Now would be a good time, adds Alston, because farm subsidies, which fluctuate depending on world market prices, are at record lows.

"Given the debt and America's ills," said Degennaro, "we need to make sure we're not spending money on programs that have negative consequences." or 407-420-5158