Next, a second linear model was used, adjusted for the same confounders and weight category, where we selected the top 15 sites/islands whose methylation levels correlated with the obesity-linked gene STK33 rs4929949 polymorphism (Table 2), which we previously demonstrated is associated with obesity in two independent children cohorts [25]. Here, STK33 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.