OBESITY IS A WORLDWIDE EPIDEMIC AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE LATTER INCLUDE IMPAIRMENT OF GUT BARRIER FUNCTION, OR "LEAKY GUT", WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A NUMBER OF DISEASES INCLUDING GUT INFLAMMATORY DISEASES AND FOOD ALLERGIES. THUS, THERE IS AN URGENCY TO IMPROVE GUT BARRIER FUNCTION IMPAIRED DUE TO OBESITY. DIETARY POLYPHENOLS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR POTENT BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON HEALTH INCLUDING GUT EPITHELIAL HEALTH DESPITE POORLY DEFINED MECHANISMS. AS A STAPLE FOOD, POTATOES CAN BE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF DIETARY POLYPHENOLS. WHILE WHITE POTATOES CONTAIN A MODEST AMOUNT OF POLYPHENOLS, PIGMENTED POTATOES HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF CHLOROGENIC ACID AND ANTHOCYANINS, BOTH OF WHICH ACTIVATE AMP-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE (AMPK). WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT POLYPHENOLS OF PIGMENTED POTATO IMPROVE INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL INTEGRITY AND BARRIER FUNCTION IMPAIRED BY OBESITY VIA ACTIVATING AMPK AND ASSOCIATED SIGNALING. WE WILL USE A WHOLE FOOD APPROACH BY FEEDING POTATOES WITH DIFFERENTPOLYPHENOL CONTENTS TO OBESE MICE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOUSE AND IN VITRO CELL CULTURES FOR MECHANISTIC EXPLORATION. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THESE STUDIES WILL PROMOTE THE CONSUMPTION OF POTATO, BENEFITING A CRITICAL INDUSTRY IN NORTHWEST. IN ADDITION, SUCH KNOWLEDGE CAN LEAD TO NOVEL DIETARY GUIDELINES TO PREVENT OR MITIGATE GUT HEALTH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY, THUS GENERATING LARGE SOCIETAL IMPACTS.