Metabolic syndrome, including obesity, glucose intolerance and elevated blood pressure, is related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have reported the anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects of purple corn extract. We investigated the efficacy of purple corn extract (PC) against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and glucose intolerance, and examined the underlying mechanisms by analyzing expression of proteins and genes involved in glucose regulation and macrophage infiltration. C57BL/6 mice were fed with normal chow diet (ND), or HFD treated with distilled water (DW, control) or PC, for 10 weeks. Although body weights were similar in the HFD-fed groups, we observed a decrease in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) weights, and enhanced glucose tolerance test (GTT) results in the PC group, as compared with DW group. Liver showed increased Akt phosphorylation in the PC-treated mice; however, no changes were observed in the EAT, for all groups. In PC-treated mice, decreased macrophage infiltration was seen in the EAT, with a reduced expression of macrophage marker genes. Finally, proinflammatory cytokine gene expressions were decreased by PC in the EAT, and a modest trend for downregulation was observed in the liver. Hence, we conclude that PC may decrease glucose intolerance by increasing the phosphorylation of Akt and reducing the macrophage infiltration into the EAT.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the correlation between obesity, threshold of salty taste, optimal saltiness and blood pressure in middle school students in a fishing village. The subjects were 115 boys and 103 girls in middle school in a fishing village. The BMI index and systolic and diastolic blood pressures of subjects were measured, and the subjects were divided into a normal and obese group according to their BMI. The threshold of salty taste and salt preference for a semisolid dish (steamed egg dish), liquid dish (bean sprout soup), and a solid dish (raw radish salad), were estimated by sensory evaluation. Calorie intake was measured using the weighing plate method. The boys in the obese group showed significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures than those in the normal, but girls did not. Furthermore, calorie intakes of the boys in the obese group were significantly higher than those in the normal group, but this was not shown in girls. On the threshold of salty taste, both boys and girls in the obese group needed higher concentration of salt than those in the normal group. The threshold of salty taste were significantly positively correlated with systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in boys. Regarding the salt preference in the steamed egg dish, bean-sprout soup, and raw radish salad, both boys and girls in the obese group preferred higher concentrations. The higher concentration they preferred, the higher the systolic and diastolic pressures were in boys, but only systolic blood pressure was higher in girls. From these results, it is evident that a nutritional education program is needed in school to help restricting middle school students salt consumption and decreasing obesity to prevent hypertension.

This study was conducted to evaluate the risk of overweight and obesity in adolescents consuming snacks frequently from 2007~2009, Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The subjects (12~14 years: n=523; 15~18 years: n=614) were presented with food frequency questionnaires, and they were classified according to their gender and frequency of snack consumption. In the age group of 12~14 years, boys and girls (boys OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.52~2.39, girls OR: 12.45, 95% CI: 2.26~68.51) who consumed yogurt frequently had a higher risk of overweight and obesity at the highest quartile frequency compared with the lowest quartile after adjustments for multiple confounding factors, including age, physical activity, frequency of eating out and snack consumption, and energy intake. In the age group of 15~18 years, girls (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.34~2.99) consuming fried foods had a higher risk of overweight and obesity at the highest quartile frequency compared with the lowest quartile after adjustments for multiple confounding factors, including age, physical activity, frequency of eating out and snack consumption, and energy intake. Thus, we conclude that frequent consumption of yogurt and fried foods increases the risk of overweight and obesity in adolescents. These findings suggest that the risk of overweight and obesity is associated with the frequency of snack consumption.

This study was conducted to investigate the risk of chronic disease as predicted by abdominal obesity in Korean adult females. Data on 2,738 adult females aged 40~64 yrs was obtained from the 2013~2014 Korean National Health Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were divided into normal (n=1,835), abdominal obesity (AO, n=73), and BMI-diagnosed abdominal obesity (BMI-AO, n=505) groups based on the NCEP-ATP III guidelines and by applying the KSSO definition regarding waist circumference. Triglyceride blood levels, fasting blood sugar levels, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the AO and BMI-AO groups than in the normal group. The HDL-cholesterol levels of subjects in the two abdominal groups were lower as compared to those of subjects in the normal group. The mean adequacy ratio was lower among subjects in the AO and BMI-AO groups than among those in the normal group. Moreover, the NAR and INQ scores of some micro-nutrients in both of the abdominal obesity groups were lower than those in the normal group. Both the AO and BMI-AO groups showed significantly higher risks of hypertriglycemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hypoHDL-cholesterolemia, and metabolic syndrome than were shown by the normal group. Notably, as compared to the normal group, the AO group showed higher risk of hypercholesterolemia, hyperLDL-cholesterolemia, hypertriglycemia, and metabolic syndrome than did the BMI-AO group. This finding suggests that it is essential to develop prevention programs including programs for those with abdominal obesity despite their having a BMI within the normal range.

Celastrol은 미역줄나무의 뿌리에서 얻은 추출물로 오래전부터 관절염 및 자가면역 같은 염증반응 질병들을 치료하기 위하여 쓰여져 왔다. 이외에도 많은 연구들에서 celastrol이 신경보호, 항산화 및 알츠하이머 치료에 사용될 수 있으며 특히, 암 치료에 효과적이라고 밝혀 졌다(Table 1). 따라서 많은 연구자들이 생리학적, 생화학적 및 면역학적 관점에서 celastrol의 항암효과를 규명하고자 노력을 기울이고 있으며, 다양한 관점에서 신호전달체계를 조절한다는 사실을 밝혀냈다(Fig. 1). 특히, celastrol은 NF-κB 를 억제함으로서 암의 발달 및 전이를 저해함을 물론, 암의 치료에 동반되는 면역 반응을 조절 할 수 있다(Fig. 2). 또한 세포사멸과 관계된 유전자들을 활성화 시키고, 항세포사멸 유전자들을 억제시킴으로서 세포 주기를 조절한다. 유전자 조절 외에도 heat shock protein과 같은 단백질의 변조와 자가소화작용(autophagy)를 유도한다. 이처럼 celastrol의 다양한 효과는 암의 성공적 치료에 한발 더 가까워지게 만든다. 이외에도 celastrol의 항 비만 효과가 알려지면서 향후 비만 및 비만과 연계된 암 환자들이 가질 수 있는 부작용, 오남용 및 비용절감 측면에서 좋은 결과를 나타낼 것이라 예상 된다. Celastrol의 다양한 기작이 밝혀짐에도 불구 하고 직접적인 결합 부위에 대한 연구 결과는 아직 없으며, 임상적용 하기에 앞서 다양한 동물모델 in vivo 실험이 필요하다. 또한 임상치료 시도에 있어 안전성을 확보 하기 위해서는 celastrol의 단기간 및 장기간의 효과에 대한 깊은 연구가 요구된다.

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and anti-obesity activity of ethanol extracts from fermented Arctium lappa L. Arctium lappa fermented twice with Phellinus linteus (2nd FA) showed more DPPH radical scavenging activity than non-fermented Arctium lappa (NFA), and Arctium lappa fermented once (1st FA) at a concentration of 62.5 ppm. The 2nd FA showed the highest level of ABTS radical scavenging activity at concentration range of 31.5~125 ppm. The ABTS free radical scavenging activities of 1st FA and 2nd FA were similar to that of BHA, a synthetic antioxidant, at a concentration of 250 ppm. The total polyphenol content of 2nd FA was higher than those of NFA and 1st FA. The flavonoid content was significantly increased in 1st FA and 2nd FA than NFA. During adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells was significantly decreased in the order of NFA, 1st FA, and 2nd FA at all concentrations. In conclusion, the antioxidant and anti-obesity activities of A. lappa were increased depending on the degree of fermentation. It is suggested that fermented Arctium lappa, especially 2nd FA, could be used as a natural ingredient for functional foods and medicine.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of interpersonal relationships with snack preference and the intake frequency of snacks with a primary focus on obesity index and snack preparations in upper grade (5~6th) elementary school students. A total of 719 students in Gyeongsangnam-do province were recruited and a questionnaire-based survey was conducted. Data were analyzed using the SPSS V18.0. The results were as follows : A total score of interpersonal relationships was 94.5 (full marks 125), and the scores of 7 factors consisting interpersonal relationships were over 3.50(full marks 5.00). Overweight group had the lowest score in interpersonal relationships (p<0.01) and purchase group by oneself had a low score than the other groups in snacks preparation (p<0.001). Most favorite snacks were ice cream. Additionally, the snack purchase group showed higher scores than the cook group by family in 8 types of snack and a total score of preference (p<0.05~p<0.001). Milk and dairy products had the highest score in frequency of snack intake. And purchase group by oneself or family was a higher than cook group by family (p<0.01). Interpersonal relationships showed a positive effect on preference and intake frequency of milk and dairy products but their explanation powers (R2) were very low. The findings of this study provide fundamental information impact factor in snack preference and frequency of snack intake.

The purpose of this study was to investigate improvement of food habits and eating behavior in children with obesity andprecocious puberty by nutritional education monitoring. The results are as follows. Average height and weight of subjectsexceeded Korean height and weight standards for children as outlined by The Korea Pediatric Society. Using nutritioneducation monitoring, meals became more regular, overeating significantly decreased, and eating speed decreased. Further,frequencies of eating-out and night-eating significantly decreased. The most preferred menu item when eating-out wasKorean food, and the most preferred menu item for night-eating was fruits, fast food, & processed food. Meat & fish andvegetable intakes all significantly increased. Fruit and milk intakes also significantly increased while bread, snack, and icecream intakes decreased. Further, fast food & instant food intakes decreased. However, water intake was not significantlyaffected. The favorite food of children was meat & fish, followed by fast food & processed food. This study may provideinformation on dietary behavior of children with obesity and precocious puberty and suggests that nutrition education orcounseling can improve food habits and eating behavior.

The purpose of this study was to compare weight control behaviour, eating habits, and health-related life habits accordingto degree of obesity among normal, overweight, and obese groups. Self-perception of weight and desire for weight controlin males (p<0.001) and females (p<0.001) varied among the three groups. Reasons (p<0.001), experience (p<0.01), andmethod of weight control (p<0.05) were different among the three female groups, whereas males did not show anydifferences. Intake of nutritional supplements in the male obese group was higher compared to other groups (p<0.01),whereas eating habits were not significantly different among the three groups for both males and females. Food habits scorefor intake of fruits, milk, and yogurt were higher in females than males (p<0.001). Correlation coefficients of food habitsscore and anthropometric measurements showed that hip circumference was negative for intake of fruits in males, whereasRBW and BMI were positive for food combination, intake of bean products, and fishes in females (p<0.05). Frequency andfitting exercise in the obese female group were lower than in the other groups (p<0.01). Therefore, proper nutritionaleducation for obese individuals is recommended proper self-perception of weight, good food habits, and regular exercise.

Relationship between lipid intake and obesity has been well-addressed but recent findings indicated that the type of lipid or composition of lipid in the diet also contributes to body fat accumulation and consequential health outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of nutrition intake including fatty acids, lipids and lipid soluble nutrients between the obese and lean college students and to analyze the relationship between the intake of certain fatty acids and body fat accumulation. Anthropometric elements including body weight, height, body fat and composition were measured, and dietary recall was conducted on a total of 114 college students. Data showed that total calorie intake and total lipid intake were not significantly different between the obese and lean subjects, in both male and female students. However, male obese subjects ate more amount of plant lipids and palmitic acids (C16:0) from their diet (p<0.05), while female obese subjects consumed more linoleic acids (18:2) and linolenic acids (C18:3) compared to normal subjects (p<0.01). Correlation analysis revealed that the consumption of palmitoleic acid (C16:1) and lipid soluble vitamin D were negatively (p<0.05) correlated with body fat accumulation in all subjects and these findings were supported by simple linear regression analyses for those variables. These results implicate that rather than only considering the amount of lipids, suggesting a proper type of lipids or lipid metabolites can be considered in nutrition counseling or education.

The purpose of this study was to determine anthropometric measurements, dietary nutrient intakes, simple food intake frequencies, and rates of obesity in Cambodian women. A total 186 women, aged 20-69 years, living in Kampong Spue province of Cambodia and having the responsibility to prepare family meals participated in this study. Height and weight were measured body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and one-day 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaires were conducted. In total, 18.8% were underweight, 49.5% were normal weight, 13.4% were overweight, and 18.3% were obese according to the World Health Organization BMI standard for Asians. No significant difference in height by obesity level was determined (p≥0.05). The mean energy intake was 1571.2 kcal/day and protein intake was 43.6 g/day. There were significant differences in protein, niacin, and vitamin C intakes by obesity level (p<0.05). The prevalence of subjects consuming vitamins and minerals less than 75% of Recommended Dietary Allowances was 73-99%. All Cambodian women consumed rice ≥1 time/day. Approximately 50% of subjects reported ≥1 time/day intake frequency of bread, cookies, and chips. In total, 35% indicated no intake of beans or bean products. For intake frequencies of carbonated beverages and sports drinks, there was a significant difference by obesity level (p<0.05). These results may be very helpful to prepare nutrition education programs for Cambodian women

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between eating habits and health among adolescents in Shanghai and Heze, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 on 2,089 adolescents; 1,089 students were from Shanghai and 999 students from Heze region. Eating habits, weight, height, and nutritional knowledge were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Eating habits score was classified into two categories: healthy eating habits and unhealthy eating habits, based on「Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey」, for statistical data analysis. Associations between eating habits, BMI, and nutritional knowledge were examined using a general linear model with adjustment of potential confounding factors such as region, gender, age, parents’ education level, and pocket money. Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS (version 9.3) program. Proportions of healthy eating habits group were 90.0% for breakfast (3-7 times/wk), 29.1% for fruit (≥once/d), 12.5% for vegetable (≥3 times/d), 7.3% for milk (≥2 times/d), 90.0% for fast food (<3 times/wk) consumption, respectively. The average BMI score was 20.1 (Shanghai 20.5 Heze 19.6), which is in the range of normal weight. Rates of obesity and overweight were 16.5% and 8.3% in Shanghai and Heze, respectively. There were significant negative correlations between intake frequencies of breakfast, fast food, biscuits, sugar, chocolate, and BMI score. Eating habits and nutritional knowledge score showed a significant positive correlation. These results showed better eating habits regarding eating regularity and consumption of fruits and soft drinks in Chinese adolescents compared with Korean adolescents, although cultural differences were not fully considered. This study demonstrated significant associations of BMI and nutritional knowledge with dietary behavior in Chinese adolescents in two regions of China. Further studies on Chinese adolescents from other regions in China should be considered.

This study was carried out to determine the action mechanism of sulfur-grain larvae extract (SGE) on anti-obesity and the reduction of blood lipid level in high-fat diet induced obese model animals. Animals were classified into a normal diet group (NC, normal control), HFD (high-fat diet without SGE), HFD 15 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 15 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight) and HFD 30 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 30 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight). The body weight gain declined in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with the HFD group, even though the diet intake increased significantly. The weight of liver and adipose tissue increased significantly in HFD group compared with in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-C and AI decreased in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group, but the contents of HDL-C increased significantly. Expression of SREPB-1α, SREPB-2 mRNA in the liver was lower in the high-fat diet group compared with the HFD group, but the expression of LPL mRNA in adipose tissue and PPARα increased significantly. Fat accumulation in the liver tissues and liver damage were greatly reduced in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group. The size of adipocytes became smaller in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with HFD group. In conclusion, this research discovered for the first time that grain maggot has anti-obesity effects, by reducing the abdominal fat of obese model animals and lowering blood lipid level through the down-regulation of PPAR-1α and SREPB-2 mRNA and the up-regulation of PPAR-α mRNA.

The aim of this study was to investigate the actual conditions underlying frequency of eating breakfast and nutritional attitudes in elementary school students in Chungnam area. Students had the highest ratio for eating breakfast everyday and spent 10-20 minutes eating breakfast. Students went to bed at 10-11 PM and woke up at 7-7:30 AM in the morning on average. The biggest reason for skipping breakfast was insufficient time in the morning. Additionally, favorite breakfast menu of subjects was a Korean style meal. The number of elementary students that recognized necessity of nutritional education was highest among subjects. Favorite educational method of subjects was education by teachers. Additionally, number of female students that recognized effect of breakfast on health status was significantly higher than boy students. Ratio of eating breakfast everyday was dependent on BMI value. Most subjects preferred video learning materials as the main nutritional education method. Overweight subjects showed the highest ratio for eating with loss of willpower compared to other students when they skipped the breakfast. Female subjects ate a greater variety of foods compared to male students, and showed better nutritional attitudes towards a desirable dietary life than male subjects. To prevent undesirable food habits and improve intake of various nutrients, systematic nutrition education is required to regulate breakfast of elementary students.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between intake experience of mother’s milk intake/baby food intake, present eating habits, and atopy symptoms in elementary school students in Chungnam province. More frequent intake of mother’s milk was associated with less atopy symptoms. Subjects who had good attitudes for baby food in the past had less unfavorite foods. In addition, subjects that ate fruits and vegetable-baby food had better eating attitudes for a balanced diet. Unbalanced diet was associated with worse behavior characteristics. Frequency of eating breakfast affected behavioral characteristics. As this study had regional and size limitations, it is necessary to further investigate the relationship between past intake experience of mother’s milk/attitude towards baby foods and present eating habits/physical growth. Based on these results, past intake experience of mother’s milk/attitude towards baby foods might affect present physical growth/development and eating habits of subjects.

The antiobesity effect of commercial kochujang and fermented wheat grains in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was studied. The experiment was consisted of 6 groups. Normal, high fat diet (HFD), HFD+raw wheat grains, HFD+first fermented wheat grains (FFWG, with Aspergillus oryzae) HFD+final fermented wheat grains (FiFWG, fermented more for 30~40 days), and HFD+ commercial kochujang. The results showed that final body weight, weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and adipose tissue weight were markedly decreased by the commercial kochujang and the fermented wheat grains, whereas non-fermented raw wheat grains had no such effect. Lipid contents such as total lipid, total triglyceride and total cholesterol decreased in the serum and organs of liver and adipose tissues by the commercial kochujang and the fermented wheat grains as well. These results also indicated that fermented wheat grains exhibited more suppressive effects on high fat induced-obesity than raw wheat grains. Increased fermentation time and adding the red pepper powder resulted in increased the anti-obesity effect. Especially, commercial kochujang showed higher antiobestic effects than fermented wheat grains. These in vivo findings suggested that well-fermented end products of the wheat grains and red pepper powder in kochujang could be useful in the prevention of obesity.

The purpose of this study was to compare the validity of obesity indices among the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and body fat percentage (BF%), and to determine which is the most useful index to predict the risk of chronic diseases of elderly people. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional study at welfare centers in Seoul. The total number of subjects was 261 (68 men and 193 women) with age ≥60 years. The distribution of obesity using 3 obesity indices in the subjects with hypertension, diabetes, or arthritis was BF%>WC>BMI in elderly men and WC>BF%>BMI in elderly women. In elderly women, odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension in BMI and WC quartiles were significantly increased in quartile 2 and 3 (p<0.05). The ORs for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and arthritis in BF% quartiles were significantly increased in quartile 3 and 4 (p<0.05). The BF% was sensitive obesity index for predicting the occurrence of chronic disease in men, and the WC was sensitive index in women. Our results suggested maintaining BMI less than 23.5 kg/m2, WC less than 82 cm, and BF less than 35% in order to prevent chronic diseases in elderly women.

The multi-origin of obesity and its associated diseases made it’s a complex area of biomedical science research and severe health disorder. From the 1970s to onwards this health problem turned to an epidemic without having any report of declining yet and it created a red alert to the health sector. Meanwhile, many animal models have been developed to study the lethal effect of obesity. In consequence, many drugs, therapies and strategies have already been adopted based on the findings of those animal models. However, many complicated things based on molecular and generic mechanism has not been clarified to the date. Thus, it is important to develop a need based animal model for the better understanding and strategic planning to eliminate/avoid the obesity disorder. Therefore, the present review would unveil the pros and cons of presently established animal models for obesity research. In addition, it would indicate the required turning direction for further obesity and obesity based disease research.