• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 1999

This study was undertaken with 542 fifth-grade elementary school children to investigate the characteristics in lifestyle, eating habits, food preferences of overweight and obese children in the Pocheon area of Korea. Anthropometry was conducted to determine obesity, and data was obtained on lifestyle, eating habits and food preferences by using questionnaires. The prevalence rate of obesity was 19.5% for boys and 8.5% for girls, and 14.3% of boys and 14.4% of girls were overweight. No significant differences was found in the body size and education years of parents, family income and the empolymental status of mother. Boys did not show any significant difference between subgroups in lifestyle, eating habits and food preferences. Obese girls watched TV longer and liked physical education less than normal and overweight groups, suggesting that an inactive lifestyle can be related to girls' obesity in this study. Overweight girls answered that they had significantly lower preferences for empty-calorie foods such as candies/caramels and cookies as well as high-fat foods such as samgyupsal(pork belly) than normal weight girls, implicating the fear of obesity for overweight girls, although more studies should be done including an assessment of actual intake of these foods. The preferences of obese girls for these foods were not higher than those of normal-weight girls, suggesting that the preference for certain foods may not be the characteristic of obese girls in this study. A special program for nutritional education with a different focus should be developed to combat the problems of each subgroup depending on gender and obesity status to improve the physical fitness of the children in this area.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.233-237
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• 2018

Background: Obesity is a complex, medical condition causally contributing to many chronic diseases and a number of efforts have been made to find the associated markers for novel prevention and treatment of obesity. Our study was to evaluate the relationship between gut immune response and obesity and overweight with use of fecal calprotectin (FC) both in adult and children groups. Methods: Fecal samples were obtained from 74 subjects: 14 non-obese and overweight children (PN), 13 obese and overweight children (PO), 20 non-obese and overweight adults (AN), and 27 obese and overweight adults (AO). FC was measured using a commercial Legend Max quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BioLegend). Mann-Whitney U-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Median FC concentration was $7.9{\mu}g/g$ (range, $1.9-28.9{\mu}g/g$) for PN, $5.0{\mu}g/g$ (range, $2.6-29.6{\mu}g/g$) for PO, $9.5{\mu}g/g$ (range, $0.8-28.9{\mu}g/g$) for AN, and $10.0{\mu}g/g$ (range, $1.6-25.6{\mu}g/g$) for AO, respectively. In both adults and children age groups, the FC showed no statistically significant difference between AO and AN or PO and PN. However, FC showed statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between AO and PO while not significant between AN and PN. Conclusion: FC level in AO was significantly higher than that in PO, suggestive of different pathophysiologic mechanism between children obesity and adults obesity.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.237-246
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of preschooler obesity/overweight and to identify associated factors. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. Data for 591 preschoolers, 432 fathers and 538 mothers from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2014 were included. Obesity/overweight was defined by 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. T-test, Rao-Scott ${\chi}^2$, multivariate logistic regression was used for the analysis. Results: Prevalence rates for preschooler obesity/overweight were 14.9% (obesity, 5.4%; overweight, 9.5%). The preschoolers with atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis or asthma (OR=2.78, 95% CI [1.27-6.09], p=.011) and eating more thiamine per day (OR=1.01, 95% CI [1.00-1.02], p=.001) showed higher obesity/overweight development. The only parental factor affecting preschooler obesity/overweight was parental body mass index (father, OR=1.18, 95% CI [1.09-1.28], p<.001; mother, OR=1.09, 95% CI [1.04-1.15], p<.001). Conclusion: Interventions on preventing preschooler obesity should be introduced much earlier for children with risk factors. Results from this study can be used as preliminary data to develop effective strategies to prevent obesity in Korean preschoolers.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2019

Excessive weight gain in children diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) is becoming more common. We describe 2 siblings (9-year and 6 months-old female and 6-year and 9 months-old male) with obesity showing attenuated gastrointestinal and atypical symptoms in which CD was diagnosed in the absence of a known family history of CD. After children's diagnosis, CD in their parents was also investigated. It was detected in their father affected by overweight. The presentation of patients with CD has changed. While patients with overweight and obesity commonly have symptoms such as abdominal pain, reflux, headache, and constipation due to lifestyle factors, CD should also be considered in patients with or without a family history of CD. Careful nutritional status assessment and follow-up monitoring after the diagnosis of CD are mandatory, especially in subjects who are already overweight at the presentation of this disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.206-212
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• 2019

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in Iranian children under 5 years of age using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, CINHAL, and the Iranian databases, including Scientific Information Database (www.sid.ir), Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (Irandoc.ac.ir), Iranmedex (www.iranmedex.com), and Magiran (www.magiran.com), for all articles published between January 1989 and August 2017. Sources of heterogeneity were determined using subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Results: Six articles were ultimately included in the meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence, based on which the prevalence of obesity and overweight were estimated to be 8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6%-10%) and 9% (95% CI, 7%-11%), respectively. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of obesity in boys and girls was 9% (95% CI, 6%-13%) and 7% (95% CI, 4-10%), respectively, and the prevalence of overweight in boys and girls was 10% (95% CI, 5%-15%) and 9% (95% CI, 5%-13%), respectively. Conclusion: Despite high heterogeneity among the results of the articles included in the meta-analysis, the prevalence of obesity and overweight is higher in Iranian children under 5 years of age. Therefore, parents and the health system must pay more attention to the lifestyle, nutritional habits, and physical activity of these children.

• Korean Journal of Health Psychology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.537-555
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, comparisons on the psychological and physical attributes of normal weight, overweight, and obese children were conducted. Second, the influence of BMI and physical fitness interaction on psychological adaptation in children with obesity was explored. Participants were 245 children between the ages of 9 and 13 years (64.5% males). Data on children considered overweight (n = 45) or obese (n = 78) were gathered from the Korean Obese Children's Physical Activity (KOCPA) projects. Normal weight children (n = 122) were recruited from two Seoul elementary schools. Psychological measurements included Weight Efficacy Life-style Questionnaire (WEL), Physical Self-efficacy Scale (PSES), Child Dietary Self-efficacy Scale (CDSS), Self-concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Intervention TM Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQLTM4.0). BMI (kg/m2) and physical fitness (e.g., aerobic endurance, flexibility) were recorded by experts in exercise physiology. Results showed that children in the high BMI group reported poorer psychological adaption and demonstrated lower physical fitness when compared to the remaining groups. Compared to normal weight children, children considered overweight and obese were found to have lower physical self-efficacy, more negative self-concept, and poorer quality of life. Further, these children also had significantly lower physical fitness levels than their normal weight counterparts. Physical fitness was found to have a significant main effect on weight efficacy (WEL), physical self-efficacy (PSES), and quality of life (PedsQL) in children considered overweight or obese. A significant BMI-physical fitness interaction effect was found for self-concept (SCI) only. Children with higher BMI reported poorer self-concept regardless of fitness level whereas children with lower BMI and higher fitness reported more positive self-concept. Implications and limitations are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.186-199
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• 2012

The present study was conducted to investigate dietary habits and biochemical indices according to the obesity index of elementary school students visiting a hospital for diagnosis. The subjects of this study were 150 elementary school students and their mothers. The overweight rates of child subjects were 37.5% for males and 40.9% for females, whereas the rates of underweight children were 35.0% for males and 14.5% for females. Children's obesity index significantly decreased with an increase in the average monthly income of children's families. Children's obesity index, mothers' weights, BMI, and percent ideal body weight were all positively correlated. Blood biochemical values in children (hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, globulin, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels) and their obesity index also showed positive correlation. For the underweight group, the frequency of iron-deficiency anemia was significantly high, whereas for the overweight group, the frequency of dyslipidemia was high. There was a significant increase in children's obesity index and a decrease in frequency of regular exercise with time spent on the TV/computer. The normal weight group recorded the highest total scores for mothers' nutritional knowledge, whereas the overweight group recorded the lowest total scores. Therefore, to maintain healthy weight in children, nutritional education programs for mothers and children should be developed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.630-641
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• 2022

Purpose: In this study, we assessed the intake of nutrients and food groups and analyzed the nutrition quotient of obese children in South Korea. The hypothesis was that dietary quality and nutrient intake are related to the body mass index (BMI) of obese children. Methods: The participants included 48 children (20 boys and 28 girls). Based on the guidelines for the age-for-body mass index provided by the Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents, the participants were divided into 3 groups: overweight, BMI ≥ 85th percentile; obese, BMI ≥ 95th percentile; severely obese, BMI ≥ 99th percentile. Results: The energy distribution showed that the carbohydrate ratio was significantly higher in the overweight group (p < 0.01), whereas the fat ratio was significantly higher in the obese and severely obese groups (p < 0.05). Thus, in the overweight and obese groups, the percent body fat was negatively associated with the carbohydrate ratio (p < 0.05) but was positively associated with the fat ratio (p < 0.05). The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) data revealed that the intake levels of protein, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₁₂, and sodium were higher in all groups. Intakes of fiber, calcium, potassium, and magnesium were insufficient in all groups, and the DRI percent for protein was significantly higher in the obese and severely obese groups than in the overweight group. No significant differences were obtained in food group patterns or Nutrition Quotient (NQ) scores among the 3 groups. According to the evaluation results by food record and NQ, a significant difference was obtained in the dietary quality of obese children. Conclusion: We conclude that a higher intake of fat enhances weight gain. Based on the study results, we propose that the guidelines should consider the energy distribution of carbohydrate and fat intake to prevent and control obesity among Korean children.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.502-512
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• 2000

A survey was conducted on 222 students in two elementary schools in rural areas, one was a rural small city and the other was in the countryside. By measuring their skin-foldness in 4 spots by caliper, the body fatness of 5 grades(BFGr) of the subjects was resulted as follows ; 28.0% of boys and 6.7% of girls were classified as obese the and 34.1% of boys and 31.1% of girls as overweight. Comparing by region, children in the small city seemed to be fatter than the ones in the countryside(21.7% vs. 17.2% as obesity). Comparing by gender, boys were fatter than girls(28.0% vs. 6.7% as obesity). When recategorizing body fatness from 5 grades(BFGr) into 3 groups(BFGp) as overweight group(obesity+overweight), normal and underweight group(underweight+severe-underweight), we observed no significant difference in childrens dietary habits and food intake frequencies by BFGp. Overweight and underweight groups enjoyed snacking before dinner more frequently than the normal group(42.1-59.3% vs. 31.5%). The subjects showed poor nutrition knowledge score with relatively high attitude score about weight control and dietary behavior score was a little lower than the attitude score. Nutrition education programs, like camps, should stress on childrens nutrition knowledge. BFGp related to obesity attitude positive, a very low level and the latter related to diet, exercise and fasting attitudes at positive levels. Therefore overweight children seemed to be motivated easily. Also the higher the in exercise-value score, the more increased was shown in exercise attitude at positive, very low level. Emphasizing exercise-value in camp programs might make childrens exercise attitude more positive. As strategies for a rural obesity camp program are being developed by obese and non-obese children. The camp would be held over summer vacation for 3 days(2 nights) at the participants expence not exceeding 50,000 won. Contents of the program cover nutrition knowledge, and exercise-value as well as cooking lessons, exercise practice, and self-esteem enhencement.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2009

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oriental treatment on pediatric overweight and obesity. Methods From the December 2006 to the May 2008, 19 children were treated of obesity control in J Korean Hospital, electrolipolysis, auricular acupuncture was done 2 times per week for 4 weeks with the consulting of diet and exercise. Nine children were treated for 9 weeks. We checked the change of weight at treatment time and the body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA) per 2 weeks. Results After 4 weeks treatment, the weight loss was 2.67${\pm}$1.75kg. And after 9 weeks treatment, the weight loss of 9 children was 5.91${\pm}$2.73kg. Total fat mass measured by BIA significantly decreased 2.38${\pm}$1.19kg after 4 weeks. BMI and the weight loss of children were significantly correlated. After 4 weeks treatment the BMI significantly decreased 1.43${\pm}$0.89kg/m$^2$. After 8 weeks treatment the BMI of 9 children significantly decreased 3.31${\pm}$1.47kg/m$^2$. Conclusions The pediatric obesity could be effective treated by herdal medicine and electroacupuncture.