At the risk of infuriating advocates of healthy eating habits everywhere, it must be said: We love Twinkies!

Not to mention Ding Dongs, Suzy Q’s, Hostess CupCakes — well, OK, we crave high-calorie, high-fat snacks in general and the entire Hostess Brands menu of junk food in particular.

If that means the food police are coming for us, so be it. We’ll go quietly, just as soon as we scarf down a couple of Ho Hos.

Needless to say, we were alarmed by the news that Hostess, the company that produces the aforementioned treats, has filed for bankruptcy. And the filing comes only two years after the company’s predecessor, Interstate Bakeries Corp., emerged from a long bankruptcy that led to major work force reductions and the closing of numerous bakeries and outlet stores.

Hostess is attributing its fiscal woes to labor and pension costs, increased competition and everyone’s favorite fall guy, the languishing economy. But it’s obvious what’s causing this iconic company’s problems: healthy diets.

We knew there had to be a downside to the emphasis in recent years on fruits and vegetables as substitutes for the tasty, creamy delights served up by Hostess and other companies that realize that the way to some folks’ hearts and wallets is through their sugar tooth.

All kidding aside, there is a painful lesson here about the price our society sometimes pays for doing what clearly screams out to us as the right thing to do.

No one would argue that encouraging healthy diets is a bad idea or that everyone should gorge themselves on Twinkies to help Hostess stay in business. But this is a business that operates 36 bakeries in this country and provides jobs to about 19.000 people. Its products generate revenue for small and large stores all across America.

When such a business fails, we lose not just a cultural icon but also an important contributor to our economy.

For the moment, at least, Hostess remains in business and hopes to emerge from bankruptcy as a viable company. If it doesn’t, we’ll really miss our Twinkies.

 

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