Applejack has always been a hard worker, with integrity that couldn’t be matched. Honesty always saw her through. Yet, Applejack knew that there was more to Equestria than that. That there were charlatans like Flim and Flam out there, living by dishonest means, intending to rob and cheat and lie their way to riches. How could she know that they still didn’t want to make ‘Flim Flam Fields’ a reality? Granny Smith wasn’t getting any younger, and as much as they wanted to deny it, Applejack and Big Mac just weren’t enough to run a farm the size of sweet apple acres all by themselves. So, she made a change.

Applejack hired farm hands, some of the most hard working ponies that she could find, while she began to handle the business side of things. Sweet Apple Acres began to boom with effectiveness that had been impossible while only being run by the family. Applejack worked less and less on the farm, and more and more in an office. Of course, she never did lose that mighty appetite of hers. So, her waistline suffered…But, being the mare that she was, Applejack never really did care.

Rarity, on the other hand, was a different case altogether. A much simpler tale, in fact. She simply grew fat because she believed she could make it fashionable for her friends.

Maybe.