Although podocytes from young mice treated with DOCA-salt exhibited expression of age-inducing senescent genes Cdkn2a (p16 INK4A, variant 2) and Cdkn2a (p19 ARF, variant 1), as well as stress-inducing senescent gene Cdkn1a (p21) and the Tp53 and DNA damage repair pathways, mice that developed obesity by feeding HFD showed increased expression/activation of Cdkn1a (p21), as well as the Tp53 and DNA damage repair pathways, but not age-inducing senescent genes Cdkn2a (p16 INK4A, variant 2) and Cdkn2a (p19 ARF, variant 1). Here, CDKN1A is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.