Belly-Fat Myths That Need to Go Away

A 2014 study from Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden clears up this misconception once and for all: Researchers gave 39 men daily muffins made with either saturated fat (palm oil) or unsaturated fat (sunflower oil) for seven weeks. Both groups put on weight, but men in the saturated-fat group gained significantly more around their midsection. Those who ate the unsaturated-fat muffins, on the other hand, gained weight more uniformly across their bodies, and also saw a slight increase in muscle mass.