VDR and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Our previous reports demonstrated that VDR could promote healthy microbial metabolites and a healthy microbiome to prevent obesity.69 Furthermore, it has been reported that increased serum 25(OH)D was associated with increased beneficial bacteria, such as Parabacteroides, which were suppressed in IBD patients and were altered in an obesity mouse model.69,70 We have reported that human VDR gene variation determines the abundance of Parabacteroides.