According to new research published in the Dec. edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the percentage of calories that a person gets from fat, as opposed to protein or carbohydrates, has nothing to do with how much weight they gain in the coming years. The study, reported by Reuters, conducted over a period of 10 years, followed 90,000 people from six different countries.  Average fat intake ranged from 31.5 percent to 36.5 percent of total calories. On average, people gained about a quarter of a pound every year. But analysis that accounted for several factors found no relationship between how much weight people gained and how much fat they ate, or their intake of polyunsaturated fats versus saturated fats.

The researchers said the findings shouldn’t be seen as showing that people can eat as much fat as they want since so much evidence already exists linking diets high in saturated or trans-fats to heart disease. People should maintain a healthy lifestyle including a balanced healthy diet and regular physical activity.

The US dietary recommendations state that people should maintain a fat intake that is 20 percent to 35 percent of total calories, and eat “healthy” fats from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils instead of “unhealthy” saturated and trans-fats.