Anthocyanin-rich black soybeans have been used in traditional East Asian medicine to cure diseases related to oxidative stress and carcinogens, but not obesity. Our objective was to investigate the effects of anthocyanin-rich black soybean testa extracts (BBT), Glycine max (Chongja No. 3), on obesity. In total, 63 participants defined as overweight or obese by their body mass index (BMI >23) or waist circumference (WC >90 cm for males, >85 cm for females) were sorted into two groups: 32 receiving the trial medication (BBT, 2.5 g/d) and 31 receiving the placebo (starch, 2.5 g/d). Participants completed an 8-week, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. There were no significant differences between the two groups at the beginning of the trial, and both required the same safety assessments. Significant decreases in abdominal fat, described according to WC and hip circumference, and lipid profiles such as triacylglycerols (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDLc) were observed in the BBT group at the conclusion of the clinical trial. The indicators for arteriosclerosis such as total cholesterol (TC)/HDLc and LDLc/HDLc were significantly decreased in the BBT group, but had not changed in the placebo group. With no difference between the two groups in energy-adjusted dietary intakes and physical activity, BBT was shown to strongly improve plasma lipid profiles, related to the reduction of WC (an indicator of abdominal fat) as long as high dietary fiber and low cholesterol diets were maintained. In conclusion, BBT can potentially be developed as a functional food for preventing abdominal obesity with high fiber and low cholesterol diets.

Background: Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is a recently identified apolipoprotein associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in coronary artery disease (CAD), but the association between apoM polymorphism and obesity has not been reported. Aim: To investigate the association between apoM polymorphism and obesity prevalence in 584 Korean adults. Methods: A total of 584 individuals aged between 30 and 80 years were recruited from Yonsei Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, and divided into obese (OB; body mass index, BMI ≥25) and nonobese (non-OB; BMI <25) groups. Anthropometric variables, lipid profiles, insulin-resistant profiles, reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) enzymes, HDL subfraction, and apoM polymorphism were determined. Results: In OB with T-855C polymorphism, TT genotype carriers significantly showed 6.2% higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP), 1.3% lower amount of HDL2b subfraction, and 19.7% higher lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mass than TC+CC carriers. OB subjects with the T allele of T-778C polymorphism significantly demonstrated 43% higher plasma insulin, 17.7% higher total cholesterol, 26.7% higher triglyceride, 40.7% higher leptin, 1.6% lower HDL2b, and 12.6% higher LCAT mass than those with the C allele. These results were reversed in non-OB with T-778C polymorphism regarding HDL subfractions and RCT enzymes. Conclusion: apoM T-855C and T-778C polymorphisms were found to be associated with obesity by regulating HDL metabolism, and the T alleles of apoM T-778C were shown to be more strongly correlated.

From a pilot GWAS, seven MAP2K6 (MEK6) SNPs were significantly associated with resting metabolic rate (RMR) in obese children aged 8–9 years. The aim of this study was to investigate how RMR-linked MEK6 variation affected obesity in Korean children. With the follow-up students (77.9%) in the 3-year panel study, the changes of the variables associated with obesity (such as anthropometrics, blood biochemistry, and dietary intake) were collected. After the MEK6 SNPs were screened by Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP array 6.0, the genotyping of the seven MEK6 SNPs was performed via SNaPshot assay. As the prevalence of obesity (≥85th percentile) increased from 19.4% to 25.5%, the rates of change of the variables RMR, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and dietary intake (energy and carbohydrate intakes) increased. The rate of overweight/obesity was higher in all mutant alleles of the seven MEK6 SNPs than it was in the matched children without mutant alleles. However, over the 3-year study period, RMRs were only significantly increased by the mutants of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs996229 and rs756942, mainly related to male overweight/obesity as both WC and SBP levels increased. In the mutants of two of the SNPs, the odds ratio of overweight/obesity risk was six times higher in the highest tercile of fat intake and SBP than those of the lowest tercile. For personalized medicine to prevent pediatric obesity, SBP, WC, and dietary fat intake should be observed, particularly if boys have mutants of MEK6 SNPs, rs9916229, or rs756942.

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Objectives According to 2019 KNHANES, the obesity prevalence of Korean adults was 33.8% and it has been increased by 2.5% in the past decade. With the highest prevalence of men aged 30–40 years old as 45–46.4%, we aimed to find what environmental variables affect the obesity prevalence in the middle-aged man. Methods Using the 7th KNHANES (2016–2018), obesogenic environments, such as nutrients intakes, dietary habits, lifestyle habits/disease, and exercise were collected/analyzed to elucidate the causality of obesity in 907 middle-aged men. Using the nutrient levels of 2015 and 2020 Korean Dietary Reference Intake (KDRIs) recommendation, we figured out what the variables, such as nutrients over/under intakes, lifestyle changes, dietary habits, were involved in obesogenic environments in 30–40 aged men. Results In men aged 30–40 years old, protein (146.2%) and sodium (198%) intakes were increased, however, dietary intakes of Vit A (75%) decreased, although their DRI values were elevated in 2020 KDRIs compared to 2015. Calcium (74.9%) and Vit C (72.5%), phosphate (190.7%), iron (149.7%), thiamine (141.6%), riboflavin (134.0%), and niacin (111.5%) should be fit for middle-aged men as much as each value of 2020 KDRIs recommendation. The rate of breakfast skipping was 48.1% in the thirties and 37.9% in forties, and eating out frequency was highest in 30–40 as 50%. Moreover, the drinking rate was 80.8% in the thirties as 1st, 74.9% in forties as 2nd, and the rate of muscle exercise practice in men aged 30–40 years was lower than fifties, the rate of stress cognition was highest in thirties (38.8%) in the whole lifestyle. Conclusions It is easy to neglect health and nutrition management in middle-aged men between 30 and 40 because that age is the most active on economics during life. Based on our results, we recommend the nutritional management or education in the workplace of middle-aged men and personalized diets to prevent chronic diseases in the coming elderly stage. Funding Sources This work was supported by the Rural Development Administration of Korea (RDA) grant funded by the Korea government.