This study investigated the potential role of dietary factors associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Koreans. The scoping review method was used to evaluate the studies that utilized the secondary data sets comprising the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Articles published between 2012 and 2022 were identified using RISS, KISS, DBpia, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. In all, there were 32 published articles on obesity and 119 on MetS. Obesity research included eight articles on nutrients, 12 on food items/food groups, two on dietary patterns, nine on dietary behavior/eating habits, and one on the dietary index. MetS studies comprised 34 articles on nutrients, 43 on food items/food groups, seven on dietary patterns, 25 on dietary behavior/eating habits, and 10 on the dietary index. Carbohydrates, alcohol, and coffee consumption were the most frequently studied dietary factors for obesity and MetS. The primary areas of study were largely focused on nutrients and food items/food groups. Thus, to overcome the paucity of information on the relationship of dietary patterns and dietary indexes with obesity and MetS, there is a need for further research using the KNHANES and KoGES data sets.

This study examined the traditional edible basis and ingredients of Song-gi used for Pyeon of Jong-ga ancestral ritual food. Through an investigation of references, a case study, and ingredient analysis for traditional edible basis of Song-gi, the nutritional value and availability as food material were reviewed. Among the 4 kinds of pine trees from 4,705 types of edible materials usable as food listed in the 《Korea Food Standards Codex》, ‘Pinus radiata D. Don’, in which the husk is acknowledged as an edible food, was applied in this study. This study processed the Song-gi following the method of jongga and divided into pine inner bark (PIB) and pine inner bark powder (PIBP) to analyze the general composition and dietary fiber. The main composition of PIB was carbohydrate, in which the content was 88.7% per 100 g. The content of dietary fiber was 73.7% per 100 g and the insoluble dietary fiber reached 92.3% in total dietary fiber. In conclusion, the edibility of Song-gi, which has a considerable amount of insoluble dietary fiber caused constipation because it absorbed the moisture in the intestine due to the lack of nutrients but may be developed as a functional food that helps the digestive activation of the intestine and improve the health of the intestine if taken with balanced nutrition.