Apparently they can, in post-menopausal women anyway. In an enormous study that looked at over 36,000 women over 7 years, calcium and vitamin D specifically were shown to reduce the pounds gained in the years following menopause. Not by a lot, but every little bit helps. And of course calcium and vitamin D are also known for helping maintain or even improve bone health.

Whether women choose to get their calcium and vitamin D from their diets or from pill supplements is up to them, but experts are warning that is isn't a magic weight loss trick. Women will of course still need to watch what they eat and exercise to keep that "muffin top" in check.