Background
: Recently, obesity has become an important health problem in Korea. In 2000, the WHO Western Pacific Region recommended an obesity diagnostic criteria for Asian population. But among Asians, each ethnic group had their own anthrometric characteristics and so it was difficult to apply the same criteria to different ethnic groups. Thus, the aim of this study was to study the appropriate cut-off value of visceral fat area (VFA) and waist circumference (WC) which increases the risk of obesity-related disorders and to validate the diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in Korean adult population.

Methods : A total of 278 of subjects (101 men and 177 women) were included for this study. The subjects were selected among Korean adults who visited the Department of Family Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital from January 1999 to August 2005. Three obesity-related disorders were defined to hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia.

Results : The cut-off value of visceral fat area which increased the risk of obesity-related disorders by ROC curve was 114.3 cm² (sensitivity 76.3%, specificity 65.9%, P＜0.005), and the waist circumference corresponding to a VFA of 114.3 cm² by simple regression analysis was 74.2 cm in men and 87.37 cm in women (P＜0.05).

Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, the visceral fat area which increased the risk of obesity-related disorders was 114.3 cm² and the WC corresponding to this VFA was 74.2 cm in men and 87.37 cm in women. For appropriate diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in Korean adult population, further studies are required.

Background
: Body mass index is currently applied as the diagnostic standard of overweight and obesity, regardless of age. Percentage body fat ratio applies separate standards among different sex, but does not have separate standards for different age groups. Since body mass index and percentage body fat may differ according to age, we conducted this study to see if a separate standard for overweight and obesity is indeed necessary for different age groups.

Methods : We selected 2,190 subjects, who were the 10 percent picked randomly by computer, among 21,921 clients who had visited the St. Mary's Hospital's health promotion center in Seoul. Those diagnosed with diabetes, thyroid disease, renal failure, and tuberculosis were excluded, leaving 1,939 over the age of 20, as final subjects. Anthropometric measurements were done using electronic scales and height meters, while body composition was measured with a multi-frequency bioelectric impedance analysis (Inbody 3.0 Biospace, Seoul). The results of this study were shown in mean and standard deviation, and mean values according to ages were compared by Ancova test.

Results : In the case of adult men, percentage body fat increased with age. This was observed especially with subjects over 30 compared to subjects in their 20s, although not proven to be statistically significant. A decrease in fat free mass rather than increase in body fat mass was noted with aging. With adult women, percentage body fat increased markedly with subjects over 50, mainly due to increased body fat mass rather than decreased fat free mass. Subjects exceeding a body mass index of 25, which is the standard limit of body mass index for obesity, was 60th percentile for adult men, and 70∼80th percentile for adult women. Percentage body fat in this case was 22.54% for men and 31.99∼33.46% for women.

Conclusion : Our study indicates that both men and women show changes in body mass index and fat free mass with aging. Hence, there are limitations to applying a universal standard for body mass Index, regardless of age. We suggest that further studies on standards for adult obesity should be conducted based on specific Korean epidemiologic data.

Background
: Physical fitness is defined as the ability to carry out work necessary for muscle exercise satisfactorily. Generally, obese person have been considered to have low physical performance. In addition, obesity has been known to be a risk factor of cardiovascular disease such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and coronary arterial disease. Based on previous epidemiologic studies, abdominal obesity, especially, visceral obesity, is thought to be more important risk factor for cardiovascular disease rather than obesity itself. Therefore, the interest on assessment of abdominal visceral fat has been increasing. The aim of this study was to see the difference in physical fitness and blood pressure according to obesity degree assessed by BMI, and compare the anthropometric obesity indices with abdominal visceral fat accumulation measured by abdominal CT (Computed Tomogram).

Methods : Four hundred thirty-two subjects, who participated in the exercise program for more than one month duration at the 'Clinic for Obesity' in St. Mary's Hospital from November 1998 to June 2000, were included in the analysis. They were categorized into 4 groups [severe obesity group (BMI≥30), obesity group (25≤BMI＜30), overweight group (23≤BMI＜25), normal group (BMI＜23)] according to their BMI. Blood pressure, anthropometric obesity indices and physical fitness (V0₂ max, back muscle strength, sit up, forward bending, vertical jump, side step, balance) were measured by one skillful exercise trainer. Among them, one hundred thirty-one subjects performed abdominal CT to assess visceral fatness. We compared anthropometric indices (waist to hip ratio, body mass index, abdominal circumference, skin foldness) with abdominal visceral fat accumulation measured by CT.

Results : Blood pressure, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscle strength, speed and balance were significantly different among the four groups categorized by BMI in both sexes, but flexibility and agility were not significant. In women, the correlation coefficients between visceral fat area measured by abdominal CT and each of waist to hip ratio, BMI, abdominal circumference, and skin foldness adjusted for age were 0.487, 0.479, 0.464, 0.31, respectively (P＜0.01). However in men, there were no significant correlations.

Conclusion : Obesity tended to increase blood pressure, and reduce physical performance. Only in women, obesity related indices reflected the abdominal visceral fat accumulation.

Background
: The functional dyspepsia gives rise to such a symptom similar to peptic ulcer without showing a noticeable lesion(e.g, gastric or duodenal ulcer) by endoscopy or upper GI serises, and it has been known that this is about twice as many as the peptic ulcer. However, there is no exact theory about its pathophysiology and it is suggested that multiple factors including genetic, physiologic, psychologic, environmental factors are engaged. Especially, in respect to the occurrence of functional dyspepsia and psychological factors, there have been many clinical studies over the world. But, we still need more studies in this country, therefore, this study has been initiated to give help patients of functional dyspepsia, investigating their characteristic traits through MMPI.

Methods : From March to September in 1996, the patients who visited the family medicine out-patients department of St. Mary's hospital of Catholic Medical College were sampled in this study. There were 46 patients having a similar symptoms to peptic ulcer without showing pathologic lesions by endoscopy. Through an interview and some basic tests, the 41 controls who had no dyspeptic symptoms and were not affected to a noticeable physical or physiological disorders were selected for the normal reference group. The standardized MMPI of our country was applied to the whole object groups to get a result. Then each average value were analyzed by the t-test and chi-square test. And the psychological pattern analysis was done.

Results : In demographic aspects, there were no significant differences between the two groups. The mean T score for each measure of the two groups falls within the normal ranges with their values being of between 30 to 70. And the average of L, F and K measure, known as the validity measure, did not give a significant differences between the two groups. The measure of Hs, D, and Hy have appeared significantly high in the patients group(p<0.01) and the Pd measure, too(p<0.05). While Mf, Pa, and Ma measure have not shown a significant differences, Pt, Sc, and Si measure have very significant differences(p<0.01).

Conclusion : In the patient group with the functional dyspepsia, the measures of Hs, D, and Hy where they indicate a neurotic pattern have shown a very significantly high point as well as those of Pd, Pt, Sc, and Si where they indicate a psychotic pattern. This reveals that in the group of the functional dyspepsia neurotic or psychotic trends to attribute. However, it is very hard to define the characteristics of a group with just on test, so further study with more variable test will be necessary.

Background
: It is suggested that the protection of the cardiovascular disease, including Myocardial infarction, in danger group is also important as well as the treatment of the disease after its attack. The rick factor of myocardial infarction, the most critical disease among cardiovascular disease, is well known and a lot of research papers are reported in Korea. But there are a few case studies on the behavior type and cardiovascular disease. Thus this study is intended to promoted the early detection and treatment of Myocardial infarction in primary care stage by surveying the influential behavior pastern to cardiovascular, especially the relation of Type A personality pattern.
Method: We set the 117 patients who came to six university hospitals in the vicinity of Seoul and Kyung-ki Province from April to August in 1995, as the patient group, and set 113 patients without cardiovascular disease who came to the same hospitals as the control group. The information on the disease and sociocultural elements of the 230 patients is obtained by questionnaire and medical records. As a method of behavior patten survey, the Danakawa. Type A behavior questionnaire of Tokai University in Japan is adopted This questionnaire is based on the Jenkins Activity Survey. We use the T-test and Chi-square test, CATMOD test in statistical correlation, and use th linear model in multivarient analysis.

Results : In the sociocultural aspects of the research object, there is no noticeable difference. Howe-ver, the patient group shows significantly high frequency in high blood pressure, DM, cholesterol, smoking and myocardial infarction family history. There play the role to cause Myocardial infarction. Type A behavior patten shows 81 patients(69.2%) in patient group,46 patients(40.7%) in control group. Accordingly the patients with Type A behavior pattern shows noticeably higher level than the control(x²=18.912, DF=1, P=0.000). Cholesterol(P=0.0001) and smoking(P=0.01), the major risk factors of Myocardial infarction, seem to be significantly related to the Type A behavior pattern, And factor of Myocardial infarction, seem to be significantly related to the Type A behavior pattern. And even though we exclude each factro of critical factors of Myocardial infarction and other variables, the Type A behavior pattern shows high influence on Myocardial infarction.

Conclusion : It is surveyed that Myocardial infarction, the most critical cardiovascular disease, and the Type A behavior pattern is deeply related as a cause and effect. In the exammination on the relations of serum cholesterol, smoking, the main risk factors of cardiovascular disease, the result shows thers is meaningful relations between them. Therefore we can conclude that the Type A behavior pattern plays the causative role to Myocardial infarction. Thus we can conclude that it is recommended to educaste the patients on the basis of the behavior-scientific approaching method of Type A behavior pattern for the better treatment, prevention and prohibition of recurrence of the Myocardial infarction as well as the interception of the direct factor. And more studies are required