Here, we generated transgenic mice with enhanced expression of ME1 in the intestinal epithelium via use of the mouse villin1 gene promoter-enhancer, in order to investigate the effects of augmented intestinal ME1 expression on epithelial proliferation and tissue morphology, gastrointestinal lipogenic and cholesterogenic genes, and the development of obesity and hepatosteatosis. Here, ME1 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.