A study found that diets high in trans fats (which are found in many fast foods and processed foods) are linked with weight gain, specifically in abdominal fat. Surprisingly, even when the calorie intakes were the kept same between groups, the group that had the diet with trans fats gained more weight than the group that had a diet of primarily monounsaturated fats (which is the primary fat in Dr. Grandma’s extra virgin olive oil). In addition to the significant increase in abdominal fat, there was also evidence of impaired insulin function in the trans fat group. Although this study was done on monkeys, it calls for more studies to further examine the effects of trans fatty acids on humans.
Source: Kavanagh, K, et al. Transfat diet induces abdominal obesity and changes in insulin sensitivity in monkeys. Obesity. 2007 Jul;15(7):1675-84
