• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2006

Objectives : Obesity causes serious medical complications and impairs quality of life in older persons. We review the literature on the clinical issues related to obesity in elderly and suggest appropriate weight-management guidelines for obese older patients. Methods : PubMed Database and RISS were searched for articles relating to obesity in the elderly. We classified articles according to clinical characteristics, assessments, medical complications, and therapy. Results and Conclusions : The current data show that obesity in elderly is associated with increased mortality, metabolic abnormalities, arthritis, pulmonary abnormalities, urinary incontinence, cancer, and impaired quality of life. Therefore, clinical studies are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness andsafety of weight-loss treatments in obese elderly.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.184-192
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• 2005

This study is to investigate the concerns about obesity and diet behaviors among 565 middle and high school students in Ulsan. The results indicated that high school students rather than middle school students and girls rather than boys had higher concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. For the socio-economic variables, being female, a high school student, and a group with the least monthly allowance was higher concern about obesity and diet; and household income, educational level and occupation of the fathers also had significant impacts on the student concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. The variables of height, weight, PIBW (Percentage of Ideal Body Weight), and BMI (Body Mass Index) had significant impacts on the concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. Especially, students with normal weight had the highest concerns about obesity and diet, while obese students had the lowest concerns. (J Community Nutrition 7(4): $184\∼192$, 2005)

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2021

Childhood obesity leads to adult obesity in case of failure of obesity treatment in childhood. It has been reported recently that the various risk factors that cause childhood obesity may lead to diabetes and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease in adulthood, thus the treatment of childhood obesity is more important. Sasang Typology advocated by the Korean traditional medical doctor in the late Joseon Dynasty, Je-Ma Lee (李濟馬), separated into four types of human constitution. It is known that Tae-Eum type (太陰人) is likely to be obese compared with other constitutions. This study examined the effects that influence on indicators related obesity and metabolic diseases through conducting aquatic application program at Tae-Eum type children who are severely obese (BMI > 30) during 12 weeks. Moreover, this study investigated the herbal prescriptions for obesity of Tae-Eum type (太陰人).

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.54-76
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the research trends of herbal medicine for obesity in animal experiments over the past 5 years. Methods: 5 Databases (Science on, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Research Information Sharing Service, PubMed, Cochrane) were searched from 2017 to 2021. Results: A total of 50 studies were selected and analyzed. 21 single herbs and 25 complex formula were used in the studies. The most commonly used herbal material was Poria cocos. As a result, there were significant improvements in the indicators related to obesity or metabolic abnormalities accompanied by obesity in all studies. Conclusions: These results suggest the efficacy and mechanism of herbal medicine for obesity treatment in animal models. Also, there should be more clinical trials in the future, based on this study.

• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.99 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2024

Incretin-based obesity treatments are making remarkable progress, marking a new era in the field of obesity pharmacotherapy. These treatments not only meet the long-standing demands for safety and sustainability in obesity medications but also go beyond, significantly improving complications associated with obesity, such as cardiovascular diseases. This review explores the advancement in obesity treatments through the latest research findings on semaglutide and tirzepatide, two incretin-based obesity treatments currently receiving considerable attention.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 2016

The study was performed to examine the metabolic syndrome risk factors in accordance with the obesity types based on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference cutoffs. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome closely adhered to the NCEP-ATP III criteria, and obesity was defined using the WHO Asian-Pacific criteria. We used the data from 591 elderly women, all aged over 65 years. They were divided into four groups: The normal group (n=272), the obesity group (n=124), abdominal obesity group (n=19), and obesity-abdominal obesity group (n=176). The obesity-abdominal obesity group was the most prevalent group of low HDL-cholesterol (p=0.009), hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.025), abdominal obesity (p<0.001), and metabolic syndrome (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the obesity-abdominal obesity group had the highest odds ratio in predicting metabolic syndrome (OR: 10.638, 95% CI: 6.053~18.697). Therefore, the obesity-abdominal obesity group was the strongest predictive factor of metabolic syndrome risk in Korean elderly women.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.145-154
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• 2006

Objectives : Methods to evaluate obesity are growing to be important in studying links between health and disease. Physicians are using BMI (body mass index) to evaluate obesity, but they can't know how much fat the body has by using that method. Even though there are several assessments, there are different scales, so patients are diagnosed as obese, by some but not by others. These studies are limited in evaluating obesity; it is necessary to study based on new knowledge. According to Oriental Medical Theory, obese people are categorized into 3 types, Fei, Kao and Liu Ren. They have different pathology and body shapes than non-obese people. The relationship between Oriental Medical Theory and BMI and assessment of body fat is a fundamental need to easily approach and treat obesity. Methods : At 00 Oriental Medical Center, 145 female subjects who intended to lose weight were given physical tests and grouped into 5 types of obesity. The physical tests were height measurement, BMI, body composition (body fat mass and lean body mass), skin elasticity and physical strength tests. One-way analysis of variance was done to compare the means of physical tests between the five types of obese women. There was some relationship between characteristics of the five types based on physical tests and Fei, Kao and Liu Ren based on Oriental Medical Theory. Least significant difference (LSD) was used in multiple comparisons. Results : 1. According to the skin elasticity test, obesity type 5 placed between obesity types 3 and 4 and obesity types 1 and 2. Obesity types 3 and 4 were in the low skin elasticity result group; obesity types 1 and 2 were in the high ones (p<0.1).Based on Oriental Medical Theory, Fei Ren and Kao Ren can be distinguished by skin elasticity degree. This result should form the basis of obesity diagnosis. 2. According to Oriental Medical Theory, Fei Ren is smaller than others. Based on height measurement, obesity types 3 and 4 were significantly lower than other obesity types (p<0.1), so there is a relationship between Fei Ren and obesity types 3 & 4. 3. There were significant differences between obesity type 2 and obesity type 4 in the body fat mass result (p<0.1). This study did not have large enough a sample size to distinguish Liu Ren. Conclusions : Further clinical research is necessary to study measurement methods of body shape type and skin elasticity for distinguishing Fei Ren from Kao Ren. The diagnosis and treatment based on the relationship of these types should be studied further.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

Objective : To estimate the socioeconomic costs of obesity in Korea,1998. Methods : The 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(1998 NHNES) data was used and 10,880 persons who had taken health examinations were selected for study. Essential hypertension, NIDDM(non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, stroke were included as obesity related disease. The data of direct costs of obesity was obtained from the National Federation of Medical Insurance. The category of indirect costs was the loss of productivity caused by premature death and admission, time costs, traffic costs, nursing fees due to obesity. Multiple logistic regression model was developed to estimate prevalence odds ratio by obesity class adjusted demographic and socio-ecnomic factors and calculate PAF(Population Attributable Fraction) of obesity on obesity related disease. And we finally calculated the socioeconomic costs of obesity in relation to BMI with PAF. Results : The direct costs of obesity were 2,126 billion${\sim}965$ billion Won in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, and the indirect costs of obesity were 2,099 billion${\sim}1,086$ billion Won. Consequently, in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, the socioeconomic costs of obesity were 4.225 billion${\sim}2,050$ billion Won, which corresponded to about $0.094%{\sim}0.046%$ of GDP and $1.88%{\sim}0.91$ of total health care costs in Korea. Conclusions : Obesity represents a major health problem with significant economic implications for the society. This results are conservative estimates as far as all obesity related disease and all health care and indirect costs were not included due to missing information. further studies are needed to caculate socioeconomic costs of obesity more exactly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.2 s.57
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• pp.327-341
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• 1997

It is a well known fact that obesity is an important cause of cardiovascular disease, emphasized by many studies. Recently, cardiovascular diseaase has been found to correlate not only to the extent of obesity, but also the fat distribution of the individual; especially, focusing on obesity of the abdomen. Unfortunately, the proposed indices for abdominal obesity are numerous, and the results vary according to the index chosen. Three-hundred and twelve bus drivers in November, 1995, were chosen as subjects of this study. The author chose to measure serum lipid levels, fasting blood sugar levels and blood pressure, that are thought to be important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Obesity indices were calculated using anthropometric measurements. We were able to evaluate the significance of obesity indices by examining correlations between these indices and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The abdominal obesity indices and risk factors of cardiovascular disease, the levels of total cholesterol in the serum, fasting blood sugar levels, and diastolic blood pressure, increased significantly according to age. 2. There was a significant difference in the abdominal obesity indices according to drinking and smoking habits controlled for age. Among the risk factors of cardiovascular disease, triglyceride and diastolic pressures had significant differences according to the presence or absence of a drinking history controlled for age. 3. Although all obesity indices showed significant correlations, the weakest correlation was between BMI and abdominal diameter index and the strongest correlation was between sagittal diameter and sagittal diameter matched for height. 4. There was a negative correlation between HDL-cholesterol and obesity indices. The weakest correlation was between fasting blood sugar levels and both SD and SDH showed correlations with the risk factors. 5. There was a significant correlation between SD and total cholesterol in the serum and fasting blood sugars controlled for age, drinking, and BMI. 6. After categorizing the subjects into 2 separate age groups at the 40 year mark, in the less than 40 you old age group, controlled for drinking and BMI, the results of comparitive studies have shown correlations between total cholesterol serum levels and waist-hip ratio, conicity-index, and SD. There were correlations between fasting blood sugar levels and SD, ADI, and SDH. There were no correlations between obesity indices and both total cholesterol serum levels and fasting blood sugar levels in the greater than 40 year old age group. There were significant correlations between abdominal obesity indices and total serum cholesterol or fasting blood sugar levels in the less than 40 year old age group, but no correlations in the age group over 40. These correlated factors between abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease are assumed to exist in Korea as well. Furthermore, in this study a high correlation was found between SD, SDH and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Even when controlled for age, drinking, smoking, and BMI, the correlations between risk factors of cardiovascular disease and these indices exist. Therefore, the obesity indices, SD and SDH may prove to be important prognostic indicators or risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.155-167
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• 2009

Objectives : Psychological comorbidities are high in patients with obesity and are associated with a variety of medical and dietary problems. This study aims to examine the association between psychological factors and obesity. Methods : This study was performed in pre-menopausal obese($BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$, waist circumference ${\geq}85cm$) women in Seoul, in 2008 (n=35). Every patient underwent the obesity treatment program. The program included dietary and exercise education, and abdominal mesotherapy for 6 weeks. Simple anthropometry including weight, BMI and Computed Tomography (CT) including Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and Visceral adipose tissue/Subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VSR) were done. To assess psychological factors, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (SES) questionnaire, Beck depression inventory (BDI) questionnaire and stress response inventory(SRI) questionnaire were administered. Results : 1. All of the obesity indicators (except VSR) decreased significantly after the obesity treatment program. 2. There was a significant relationship between self esteem (SES score) and visceral obesity (VAT and VSR) measured at the end of the program. 3. During the intervention, the more weight, BMI, and subcutaneous adipose tissue decreased, the more self-esteem (SES) increased. There was no relationship between depression (BDI) and obesity. And the change in stress response (SRI) was associated with the change of deep subcutaneous adipose tissue and total abdominal adipose tissue. Conclusions : This study proves that visceral obesity may contribute to low self-esteem, and there is a possibility that the other psychological factors could also be related with obesity in Korean obese women. Individualised antiobesity therapy may be required depending on the patient's psychological characteristics and weight loss could be helpful in order to treat psychological problem in obese patients.