The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition or a functional food containing azelaic acid as an active ingredient and, more specifically, to a pharmaceutical composition and a health functional food, which contain, as an active ingredient, azelaic acid having an effect of lowering the accumulation of triglycerides, by allowing Olfr544, which is a GPCR expressed in cell membranes of adipose tissue, to be activated through coupling with azelaic acid such that the hydrolysis of triglycerides in adipose tissue is promoted through a cAMP-PKA-HSL signaling pathway. The composition containing azelaic acid, according to the present invention, has an excellent effect in the alleviation of the accumulation of lipids in adipose tissue and of the lipid metabolism of adipose tissue, thereby being usable as a food material, a pharmaceutical composition, and a health functional food for alleviating the lipid metabolism of adipose tissue (obesity alleviation) such as in body weight reduction and body fat reduction.
