--- title: A Mediterranean Diet Is Better Than Low-Fat For Weight Loss description: Researchers say that it’s time to move beyond the dogma to avoid all fats in our food. Certain types of fat won’t make you heavier canonical: https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-06-06T22:30:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T22:25:34.254Z article:section: Health og:title: This Kind of Fat Won’t Make You Gain Weight og:description: Researchers say that it’s time to move beyond the dogma to avoid all fats in our food. Certain types of fat won’t make you heavier og:url: https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt94a37408ac7bf4ea/69878154cd1bbab3766f56e2/time-50-healthiest-foods-olive-oil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, olive oil, fats og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Kind of Fat Won’t Make You Gain Weight twitter:description: Researchers say that it’s time to move beyond the dogma to avoid all fats in our food. Certain types of fat won’t make you heavier twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt94a37408ac7bf4ea/69878154cd1bbab3766f56e2/time-50-healthiest-foods-olive-oil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Kind of Fat Won’t Make You Gain Weight > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=bb5459f7-ea5d-4d95-94f7-8f092dbb38bf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=bb5459f7-ea5d-4d95-94f7-8f092dbb38bf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=bb5459f7-ea5d-4d95-94f7-8f092dbb38bf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=bb5459f7-ea5d-4d95-94f7-8f092dbb38bf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Know Right Now: New Dietary Guidelines For Americans [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: New Dietary Guidelines For Americans](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eXDuY1tG.m3u8) (1:05)  _Published 2016-01-07. The U.S. released new dietary guidelines for Americans, offering advice on healthy eating_  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 6, 2016 10:30 PM UTC  Danny Kim for TIME  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 6, 2016 10:30 PM UTC Health experts have warned for years that eating too much fat can contribute to calorie overload, overweight and obesity. But [not all fats are created equal](http://time.com/3734033/whole-milk-dairy-fat/?iid=sr-link2), and in the latest study on the subject, scientists found that eating certain fats, no matter how many calories they contain, won’t lead to significant weight gain. In the study published in the journal [_Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology_](http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587%2816%2930085-7/abstract), researchers in Spain report that people who were put on a Mediterranean diet without any calorie restrictions for five years lost slightly more weight than people put on a low-fat diet for the same amount of time. The group of 7,447 middle-aged men and women, who were at higher risk of having heart problems because they had type 2 diabetes or other heart-related risk factors, were mostly overweight or obese. Those who were told to adopt a Mediterranean diet, which contains more fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins like fish, also added either olive oil or nuts to their diet, but they did not restrict the number of calories they ate. The control group was told to eat a low-fat diet and also weren’t limited in the amount of calories they ate daily. The findings highlight the more sophisticated understanding that nutrition and health experts have about the role of fats in promoting health. Advice to limit or eliminate fatty foods can backfire for health, since people tend to replace the fats from meats or proteins with carbohydrates and sweets, which can be just as detrimental (if not more) for promoting obesity and heart disease. Recent studies have found similar results that question the damning of all fats. One [study](http://time.com/4187728/heart-health-fat-saturated/?iid=sr-link5) revealed that only 3.6% of heart deaths around the world can be attributed to saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products, while more than 10% of heart deaths were traced to eating too few plant oils, like those that are plentiful in a Mediterranean diet. In another study by the same authors of that analysis, [people who drank full-fat milk](http://time.com/4279538/low-fat-milk-vs-whole-milk/?iid=sr-link1) had a 46% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who chose skim. The Spanish researchers found that people on the Mediterranean diet also ate more vegetables, fruit and fish and consumed less meat and dairy products than those on the low-fat diet. That could explain why, even though they weren’t told to eat fewer calories, the people in the Mediterranean group tended to lose slightly more weight than those in the low-fat group. Taken together, these results and those from other recent studies are making a stronger case against cutting out all fat from the diet. Good fats, such as those from plants like olive oil and nuts, are not only helpful for the heart but won’t add to weight gain. And keeping a healthy weight is yet another way to avoid problems like heart disease and diabetes. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/"},"headline":"This Kind of Fat Won’t Make You Gain Weight","datePublished":"2016-06-06T22:30:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:25:34.254Z","description":"Researchers say that it’s time to move beyond the dogma to avoid all fats in our food. Certain types of fat won’t make you heavier","url":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","calories","Obesity","Weight loss","weight gain","olive oil"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt94a37408ac7bf4ea/69878154cd1bbab3766f56e2/time-50-healthiest-foods-olive-oil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt94a37408ac7bf4ea/69878154cd1bbab3766f56e2/time-50-healthiest-foods-olive-oil.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, olive oil, fats","caption":"healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, olive oil, fats","creditText":"Danny Kim for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/","name":"This Kind of Fat Won’t Make You Gain Weight"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: New Dietary Guidelines For Americans","description":"The U.S. released new dietary guidelines for Americans, offering advice on healthy eating","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/eXDuY1tG/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-07T13:51:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eXDuY1tG.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/","duration":"PT1M5S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4359147/fat-weight-gain-mediterranean-diet/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```